The Dragon's Puppy
by Xx.Hikari The Light.xX
Summary: After leaving his horror of a home, Joey Wheeler is lost with nowhere to go. But what happens when he is found and taken into the care of his own worst enemy? Will love begin to blossom or will the hatred rage on?
1. Chapter 1

**The Dragon's Puppy**

_**Luna, Princess of the Shadows: **Hey people. Yes, I started a new fic. I know, I know. What about my other stories? Well, since I have writer's block on all of them, I'm hoping that this one will get me out of that hole. This is my first SetoxJoey romance fic so please be kind with your reviews. Thank you. _

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!_

_**Pairings: **SetoxJoey_

_**Warnings: **Slight abuse. _

_**Summary: **After leaving his horror of a home, Joey Wheeler is lost with nowhere to go. But what happens when he is found and taken into the care of his own worst enemy? Will love begin to blossom or will the hatred rage on?_

_

* * *

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**Chapter One: Enough is Enough**

It was a rather calm and peaceful afternoon in Domino City and the students at Domino High were just getting out of school. Everyone was ecstatic to get home…all except for one particular blonde-headed teen, Joey Wheeler. He dreaded this time everyday for one reason and one reason only: his father. Each time he went home it was always the same thing. He would get yelled at, kicked, punched and severely beaten to an extent. It hasn't changed nor will it ever.

_I've got to hurry; dad's expecting me and he knows that today I have no excuse for being late. _Joey heaved a mental sigh as he sped up his pace, determined to make it home on time.

When he finally got to his neighbourhood, which was located in the more run-down, low-class area of the city, he shivered, terrified of what might happen the minute he walked in his front door. His **_punishment _**always got worse everyday.

As he walked down the street, he recognized a few people, some of which were members of his old gang, The Silver Dragon. He had quit it about a year or so ago; he was just completely fed up with the things they made him do and what they did to **_him _**when he refused.

"Hey Wheeler!" one of the more tougher-looking guys shouted from across the street. Joey just ignored him and continued on his way, as much as he despised going back to that hellhole he called home.

The moment he climbed the stairs to his rickety apartment he almost hesitated turning the door handle but eventually worked up the courage to do so. He didn't even want to think about what lied beyond that door this time…

"Who's there?" a gruff-sounding voice asked or more so demanded.

Joey took a deep breath before replying. "It's just me dad."

Mr. Wheeler got up from the couch, a little tipsy due to an overdose of alcohol. He stumbled over towards Joey, a beer bottle in hand and a scowl upon his face. His whole body reeked of beer and his clothes were filthy, almost as if they hadn't been washed in a month.

"Where have you been mutt?" Joey cringed. He hated when his father called him that because it always made him feel inferior. That's why whenever Kaiba called him that he would literally flip out.

"Uh…school?" Joey replied with a hint of sarcasm. He knew that that answer would get him into even more trouble but at this point he didn't care anymore.

"That's some excuse boy," Mr. Wheeler smirked and waddled even closer to Joey. With one hand, he grabbed his son by the throat and slammed him into the wall, still keeping a firm grip on the blonde's neck. "Little punk. I told to come home **_right after _**school and yet you feel the need to disobey me. I told you before. As long as you're under **_my _**roof you go by **_my _**rules. **_No _**exceptions. So what do you have to say for yourself? Apologize and I'll go easy on you."

"Fuck you," Joey sneered. He didn't care what happened to him. In fact, he was planning on walking out on his father soon enough.

That was when the older man's temper began to flare. He wrapped his fingers around Joey's neck even tighter and pressed his back even harder into the wall. Joey winced but tried his best to remain calm. "Don't **_ever _**talk to me like that again you little bastard. Understand?" he growled.

"Mhm…" Joey murmured, not even looking his father in the eye.

Mr. Wheeler just muttered a few words, let his son go and walked back over to the couch where he flopped down and continued to watch his football game on TV. Joey then sluggishly walked up the stairs to his bedroom.

Once in his room he grabbed a duffel bag that was sitting on the floor, walked over to his closet and began tossing all of his clothes, or most of them into it. He also grabbed his dueling deck and a few other valuable items and stuffed them into his bag. One of the items was a picture of his sister Serenity and himself standing together in downtown Domino when she came to visit him and his friends during the past summer. He really missed her. Ever since their parents divorced, she went to live their mother in New York City and Joey was left to live with his drunken father. He was only young at the time so he didn't really have much of a choice. His father demanded custody over him and his mother, unfortunately, wasn't in a position to argue. Each day he wanted so badly to move out but being only seventeen his father still had legal custody over him. Now he didn't care. He was going to get out if it was the last thing he did.

After he finished packing everything in his room, he then walked out and went into the bathroom to get all his personal necessities. He then decided to grab a quick shower while his dad was still downstairs. He needed to soothe his aching muscles after such a long day. As a matter of fact, everyday with his father was always long and tiring.

After about fifteen minutes or so he came out of the bathroom dressed in old, faded jeans with a hole in the knee and a black hoodie. Going back into his room he went over to his bed and fluffed up his blankets and pillow to make it look like he was sleeping. Then he grabbed his duffel bag and opened the window, but not before closing his bedroom door. First, he threw his duffel bag out the window to the ground below. After that he slowly started to climb out the window, careful not to slip and fall. Once he was fully out the window and it was safe to jump he did so, landing gracefully on the ground below. He then grabbed his bag and headed down the street without a clue as to where he could go.

* * *

_**Luna, Princess of the Shadows: **So? How was it? Good? Bad? Delete? Your opinions are very important because I want to know whether or not I should continue posting new chapters. So let me know what you think of this story in your reviews and if people want me to continue, I shall do so. Flames will only be laughed at so don't even bother. They will be used to roast my marshmallows. Yum…marshmallows…:P Well, I'll stop blabbing and let you review! Love ya'll! Ja ne! _


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Sympathy From A Foe**

As Joey walked the streets of Domino, he was getting really tired, really fast. It seemed as though he had been walking around in circles for hours on end. To make things worse, rain started to pour heavily from the now darkened sky.

_Just great… _Joey groaned inwardly. He then caught sight of a nearby alleyway and decided to take refuge there for the night.

Sitting down on the cold, hard pavement, he shivered from head to toe. He was completely drenched which did not help in the slightest. Joey hugged himself and pulled his knees up to his chest, trying so hard to keep his body warm. As much as he tried to refuse, the need for sleep overcame him and in a matter of minutes he closed his eyes and was out like a light.

* * *

Seto Kaiba, president of the world famous Kaiba Corporations was just getting back from a meeting out of town dealing with important company matters. On his way home, he picked Mokuba up from his friend's house. Since he was gone for pretty much the whole day, he decided that it would be best for his brother to spend some time with his friends.

"Hey Seto!" Mokuba exclaimed as he got inside the limo, closing the door behind him. He sat down next to his older brother, strapped on his seatbelt and turned to face the elder Kaiba.

"Hey kiddo. How was your day?" Seto inquired with a hint of a smile. That wasn't a usual expression to be seen on the normally serious businessman's face but whenever he was around the young pre-teen he couldn't help it.

"Great! Ryan and I - " Mokuba paused in mid-sentence as he stared curiously out the window.

"What is it Mokie?" Seto asked, looking over in the same direction.

"Stop the car!" Mokuba shouted to the driver who complied and did as he was told. When he pulled over to the side of the road, the raven-haired child didn't hesitate in flinging the door open and running out into the rain.

"Mokuba!" Seto called from the limo. "Where are you going?"

"Follow me!" was Mokuba's response before he disappeared into an alleyway.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Seto murmured to himself as he stepped out of the limo and followed his little brother into the shadows of the alley.

Mokuba then stopped dead in his tracks as Seto approached him.

"What's wrong?" His tone was firm but held a kind of sympathetic ring to it.

Mokuba didn't say anything except pointed to a drenched, sleeping figure who looked awfully familiar to the two Kaiba brothers.

"Wheeler?" Seto's eyes grew wide when he realized who was lying before him. The blonde began to stir slightly as his eyelids began to flutter open but then closed almost immediately afterwards.

The pre-teen gave a relieved sigh. "Phew, thank Ra he's okay." Seto only grunted. Mokuba just shifted a glare in his direction before continuing to speak. "I wonder why he's sleeping out here in the rain?"

"Probably got kicked out of the doghouse that he calls his home," Seto smirked and then received another deathly glare from his brother.

"Seto that's not nice! Even if you two are arch rivals you could at least show some sympathy!" This tone of voice was not normally heard coming from the usually calm and quiet child and that, surprisingly, took Seto aback. He then looked at his little brother apologetically without saying a word, hoping to be forgiven. Mokuba, seeing the expression on his brother's face and the present circumstances, decided that now wasn't the time to argue.

"Maybe we should take him to our place, at least until he feels well enough to go back home," Mokuba suggested, knowing almost full well that his brother would refuse.

"Absolutely not Mokuba! There's no way I'm going to take someone like Wheeler into my home! He'd probably contaminate the place with fleas or something!" That was when Mokuba had hit his sore spot. He pulled the ever-so-irresistible puppy dog eyes on his brother making him cave.

"Please Seto?" he pleaded.

"F-fine! But only for a night and one night only!" The raven-haired child didn't bother to say anything else as he watched his brother bend down and pick Joey up, surprisingly without a complaint. He carried the young teen over to the limo, opened the door and carefully placed him inside. Mokuba grabbed Joey's duffel bag and then ran over to limo where he climbed in the back seat, fastened his seat and set the bag down by his feet. Seto got in afterwards, closing the door behind him and motioning for the driver to start the car. When the vehicle was set into motion, the younger of the two Kaiba brothers looked over to the other with large, twinkling orbs.

"Thanks Seto," the boy spoke.

"For what?" Seto pretended as if he didn't know what his brother was talking about but in reality he did.

"For saving Joey," Mokuba replied simply.

"I did what I had to Mokuba, got that?" Seto said sternly.

"Well it was nice of you. I didn't think you had the heart to save the one you most despised."

"Like I said, I did what I had to," the elder stated.

Mokuba then turned to stare out the window, observing the dampened scenery before him. Seto, on the other hand was just staring at the nearly unconscious blonde-haired teen in front of him, studying the various cuts and bruises on his skin.

_I wonder what could have happened to him? _he pondered to himself, sounding almost sensitive to Joey's well being. He then instantly shook that thought out of his mind. He **_hated _**Wheeler. So why is it that all of a sudden he was **_concerned _**for him? It didn't make sense and at the moment he didn't have the time to comprehend it all.

Soon enough, the limo had pulled into the large driveway of the Kaiba Estate and when it came to a halt, both brothers piled out, Seto taking Joey with him and Mokuba grabbing the duffel bag. Mokuba rushed up the stairs and pulled the door open, holding it for his brother since he kind of had his hands full.

"Thanks kiddo."

"No problem big brother!" Mokuba flashed a bright smile and when Seto was inside, he promptly followed, closely the door behind him "So where is Joey going to sleep?" he inquired, looking up at the tall, blue-eyed brunette.

"Well, the only place I can think of at the moment is the guest bedroom right across from your room. I'll take him upstairs if you can tell the maids to prepare breakfast for him in the morning."

"Sure thing!" Mokuba nodded and ran towards the kitchen. Seto headed upstairs with the blonde still in his arms.

"I can't believe I'm doing this for Wheeler," he muttered to himself as he got to the top of the stairs. One of the maids who was coming out of the bathroom noticed him approaching.

"Good evening Mister Kaiba. Is there anything I can help you with tonight?" she asked in an overly sweet voice.

"No thank you Lisa, I'm fine," and with that he walked right past her and down to the end of hall where he turned left and walked into the empty room. He then gently placed Joey on the bed and grabbed an afghan from the closet to cover him up with. He sighed and then started to walk quietly out of the room so as not to wake his newly acquired guest. He looked back for a moment and, although it wasn't all that noticeable, it seemed as though Seto Kaiba, **_the _**Seto Kaiba was actually **_blushing_**. However, it quickly vanished and he turned back and started out the door and down the hall to his room. It had been a long day and Ra only knew that tomorrow would probably be even longer…


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: A Kind Act With A Crude Attitude**

The next morning, which was a Saturday, things were rather hectic at the Kaiba Estate. Seto had to wake Mokuba up, for he had slept in on his first day of music school.

"Mokuba! Get up!" Seto practically yelled, trying to pull his brother out of bed. The young child, still fast asleep, grabbed onto the bedpost and refused to let go.

"Mokuba!" the older teen shouted, tugging on the young one's leg.

Mokuba only groaned and rolled over onto his side, still clinging onto the bedpost for dear life.

"Mokuba I'm only going to tell you this once and only once! Get up now or no TV for a week! No! A month!" All of a sudden, the raven-haired child sprung, yes, **_sprung_**, out of bed and set his feet on the floor.

"I'm up! I'm up!"

"Took you long enough," Seto sighed but let a little smirk shine through.

"Ha ha. Very funny Seto," he said with his hands on his hips, as if to try and look intimidating.

"Well, I'll leave you to get dressed but be quick. You're already late for your classes as it is."

"Aww… Seto do I have to?" Mokuba pleaded, turning the puppy dog eyes on his brother.

"Not going to work this time kiddo. Now get ready," Seto replied, ruffling his younger brother's mess of raven locks before heading out of the room.

"This stinks," Mokuba pouted and walked out of his room to the bathroom.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the guest room, Joey was just beginning to awaken. When he sat up groggily and rubbed his sleep-filled eyes, he was confused by his surroundings.

"Where am I?" he asked himself aloud, trying to comprehend all that had happened the previous night. All he remembered was that he left his father for good. Everything else just seemed like a vision of blurry images.

"You're at my house," a voice came from the doorway. Joey turned his head and was shocked and surprised when he realized whom the voice belonged to.

"Kaiba?"

"You were expecting someone else?" Seto replied smugly.

"Well, now dat you mention it, yes. I never expected **_you _**of all people to take me into your house."

"It was Mokuba's idea. He was the one that convinced me and I decided that, for him, I would take you in. It doesn't have anything to do with being friendly Wheeler so don't go thinking that." Seto grunted and turned to leave. "Someone will be up with your breakfast shortly. I have to go out for a bit to take Mokuba to his music classes. I won't be long. Don't do anything you'll regret while I'm gone," he informed and then left down the hall.

"Don't worry…I won't," Joey muttered sarcastically and then fell back on the bed. He laid there awake for what seemed like hours.

_I still don't get it. Why would Kaiba, of all people, help **me**? He said it was his brother that convinced him but I can't help thinking that he **wanted **to help me. It sounds crazy but who knows; dat Kaiba can be crazy sometimes._

Suddenly, he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," Joey responded accordingly and noticed that it was one of Seto's maids. "Oh, hey. Kaiba told me that you were coming."

"Yes. Mister Kaiba told us to prepare a breakfast for you this morning. I hope you're hungry," the girl, who looked to be about eighteen, replied with a kind smile.

"You bet!" Joey exclaimed and started shoveling down all of the food placed in front of him. He was so hungry that he would have eaten the plate if the maid hadn't taken it away.

"Well, I see that you **_were _**hungry." The young woman let a small giggle escape her lips before turning to walk out of the room. But before she did, she turned her head back in Joey's direction. "If you need anything else, just call. All you have to do is dial '56' on the phone beside you and whoever is available will be more than happy to tend to your call," she explained, pointing to the phone on the night side table beside the bed Joey was laying on.

"Thanks," Joey said as the maid bowed her head slightly and then left the room in order to tend to other matters in the mansion.

Joey gave a relieved sigh as he began stretching his arms out in the air. "Well at least I'm not hungry anymore. Dat meal was huge and it was only breakfast! How I can't wait until lunch and dinner!" He then decided to finally get out of bed and head downstairs. The moment his feet were on the ground, a surge of pain shot up through his whole body. He tried as best as he could to not scream, for he didn't want to bring any unwanted attention to himself. Slowly he pushed himself to walk over to the dresser at the end of his bed where he noticed that someone had already laid out a set of clothes for him. As he set his one hand on top of the mahogany dresser to steady himself, he picked up the pile of clothes with the other hand. He noticed that they were about his size, if not a little bigger. He thought that they must be Seto's, for he was the only one he knew of in the entire mansion that had clothes that would fit him. The only thing that mystified him was the fact that he, Seto Kaiba, was actually **_giving him_** clothes. _Maybe there's a catch, _Joey thought to himself as he examined the outfit closer. It was a pair of black cotton pants and a black turtleneck shirt. He wasn't exactly fond of the shirt and just decided to stick with his black hoodie…that was until he realized that his sweatshirt (Which he was still wearing) was still completely drenched from the rain. No wonder he was freezing last night. He never had the chance to change into something warmer. He wanted to grab something out of his duffel bag to wear but it was soaked as well so he really had no choice in the matter.

_Maybe I ought to have a shower first. I'm sure Kaiba won't mind. _He then grabbed the clothes and walked out of his room to the bathroom, moving his one hand along the wall for support so he wouldn't fall.

When he got into the bathroom, he noticed that there was a steam room shower and decided that it would be perfect in order to relax his cold, aching muscles. As he closed the door, he leaned up against the back of it, wondering how long Seto would let him stay here. He really didn't want to go back to his father but he didn't want to be a burden on Seto either…even if he **_was _**his worst enemy. He then figured that when Seto got home, he would ask him…even if the answer might not be the one he was looking for.

* * *

Later, when Seto arrived back at the mansion, he started walking tiredly up the long, spiral staircase to his room. After dropping Mokuba off at his music classes, he had to go to Kaiba Corp. to attend a rather urgent meeting. He really didn't feel like going, since it was Saturday and he already had too much on his mind to begin with, but being the CEO of a world famous company he didn't have an obligation to refuse. It was a long and boring meeting anyway. All they talked about was new advertising techniques and other ways to promote the company. It only took an hour but to Seto it was more like three hours of endless boredom. If he wanted to develop new ways of advertising their products, he could just do that at home instead of wasting his time sitting at a table with a bunch of idiotic associates.

Before he went into his room, he decided to check up on Joey, just to see if he was still in bed or if he was downstairs raiding his fridge. However, in order to prevent such happenings like that, Seto had a little fridge put into the guest room with a few snacks, some pop and water inside.

When he peeked into the room, he noticed Joey sitting up in bed watching TV.

"Well Wheeler, it looks to me like you're feeling a little better," Seto smirked, knowing full well that Joey would try and make up some excuse and say that he was still not feeling well.

"A little but the pain's still there," Joey replied. Surprisingly, the two teens were able to have a decent conversation with one another without any yelling or sarcasm involved.

"Have you tried getting out of bed?" Seto raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

Joey just glared at his enemy but remained calm. "Yes, for your information I have. I got out of bed to have a shower, even though it was rather painful. Good thing you had a little bench installed in your steam shower otherwise I'd probably be lying on the bathroom floor in a heap right about now."

"Well…" Seto hesitated for a moment before continuing. "As much as I'm probably going to regret saying this, you're…**_welcome_** to stay here for as long as you need to." Seto practically spit out the word **_welcome_**, for he really didn't want Wheeler staying at his house very long. But he knew that Mokuba wouldn't appreciate him sending him out while he was still injured.

"Really?" And then Joey paused for a moment. "Wait a minute. Why are you being so nice to me rich boy? I thought you hated me?"

"I do but thank Mokuba. Like I told you, he was the one that wanted to take you in, not me. I only went along with the whole plan because I knew that if I didn't my little brother would be angry with me."

"So you're scared of your little brother? Is that it?" Joey arched an eyebrow, mentally laughing at the thought of Seto Kaiba being scared of a ten-year-old.

"No, I'm just willing to do anything for him, including taking someone like **_you _**into my home," was Seto's harsh-sounding response.

"Uh huh," Joey muttered under his breath and turned back to his TV show.

Seto then turned to leave the room. "I'll be in my room if you need anything, but it better be important because I hate to be disturbed for unimportant matters." He then walked out and headed down the hall a little ways to his room.

"Just like Kaiba to be a stuck-up jerk," Joey murmured. _But at least he's letting me stay here for a while longer so I don't have to return to that drunken idiot I called my father anytime soon…_

* * *

Meanwhile, in the old wreck of an apartment, Mr. Wheeler sat in the living room, thinking aloud. "That bastard. He thinks he can escape me. I'll show him. When I find that little punk, I'll make him pay for everything he's done to me. He's why I'm living the life of a fucking homeless idiot. If he would just do as I tell him, everything would be fine. But no, he chooses to rebel against me and make things harder for himself. He'll come home eventually and when he does, he'll feel the pain that I feel everyday. He'll know what it's like to be me…"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Best Friends Are Always There**

As Seto Kaiba sat in his room, busily hacking away on his laptop, Joey appeared in the doorway, his one hand clutching the side of the doorframe.

"Wheeler, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in bed? I told you not to disturb me!" Seto stood up, his voice overflowing with so many different emotions that it was hard to tell what he was really feeling.

"I know you did but there's something I want to ask you," Joey spoke, now leaning on the door which was pressed against the back wall.

Seto sat down and continued typing. "Whatever it is, make it quick. I have important things to do and I don't have the time to deal with your problems."

"Mhm… But weren't you the one who said that you'd be in your room if I needed you for anything?" Joey questioned the CEO, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, but I also said that I hate being disturbed for unimportant matters and anything you have to say can only be unimportant," Seto corrected.

"Whatever. I just wanted to ask you when your brother is going to be home. I kind of wanted to play some video games with him. Dat guy is so cool!" Joey beamed.

"His classes finish in another hour. So until then, find something to entertain yourself but whatever you do, don't go into any of the rooms except your own without permission."

"What about the bathroom?" Joey knew this was a stupid question but he just felt like annoying the CEO by bombarding him with so many questions.

"I forbid you to go there too," Seto grimaced.

"Hey that's going against my rights as a human! I could sue you!"

"Yah, with what? You'd have to sell your house, everything in it and even the clothes on your back just to afford a lawyer."

"Nah, I'd just borrow one of yours and pay them to work for me. I **_do _**have money you know Kaiba."

"Probably only twenty bucks, if that. My lawyers are top notch and won't just work for **_anybody_**," Seto informed.

"I'd find a way," Joey smirked evilly.

Seto then decided to change the subject. "Okay Wheeler, I have to get back to work now. Yes you can use the bathroom but as I mentioned before, don't go snooping around in any of the other bedrooms. That includes my brother's too. When he's away, no one, except for me, is allowed in his room. Now get out of here before I call security to escort you back to your room," Seto demanded.

"Fine, I'm going, I'm going…" Joey mumbled and took his leave.

Seto then leaned back in his chair, slowly massaging his temples as he felt a slight headache coming on. He opened the right hand drawer in his desk and pulled out a bottle of aspirin taking two pills out and throwing the bottle back into the drawer, closing it. He downed the pills and took a quick drink from his bottle of fresh Dasani water. Afterwards, he went back to his work, feeling a little bit better now that he had no one to continually pester him.

* * *

When Joey got back to his room, he flopped down on his bed and sighed. He was bored and there was nothing to do seeing as how Seto wouldn't let him wander the halls of the mansion. He couldn't wait until Mokuba got home. He loved playing with the younger Kaiba because he was always so much more enthusiastic than his brother. So for the time being, Joey decided to take a little nap. He curled up under the warm, goose-feathered blankets and within seconds, fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

* * *

Later, around three o'clock in the afternoon, Seto was just on his way out the door to pick up Mokuba when he noticed Yugi standing outside with a worried look on his face.

"What do you want Motou?" he sneered.

"Um…I know this is a stupid question to ask but do you know where Joey is? He said that he was going to come over today around one o'clock but he never showed up and I'm getting worried. I'm afraid something's happened to him…" Yugi's words trailed off so that they were almost inaudible.

"And what makes you think that he would be here?"

"Well I asked everyone else and they said that they haven't seen him since Friday at school," the spiky-haired teen replied.

"So you just assume that I would take someone like Wheeler into my house? Is that correct?" Seto inquired in an intimidating voice.

"I – I was just wondering…" Yugi stammered, trying to avoid direct eye contact with the CEO.

"Well if you must know, yes, Wheeler is here. He's upstairs in the room that I provided for him. Just don't go thinking that I'm doing this out of friendship and that I'm suddenly going to join your little playgroup. I'm only doing this Mokuba and that's all. Understand?"

Yugi nodded his head in response. "Would it be okay if I went to see him?" he finally managed to ask.

"Fine, but only go into his room and nowhere else. I don't want you wandering aimlessly around the mansion with no reasonable excuse," and with that, Seto brushed past Yugi and walked over to his limo that was waiting for him. When the vehicle pulled out of the driveway and vanished out of sight, the smaller teen pulled the door open and walked into the mansion.

* * *

As he climbed the spiral stairs, all he could think about was if Joey was all right and if anything was troubling him. He had known the blonde-haired for going on two years now and somehow he always knew if something was wrong.

_I hope he's okay…_ Yugi prayed silently to himself as he walked down the hallway, peering into the all the rooms looking for his best friend. He finally came to the last room on the left and when he looked in, he saw Joey lying in bed, curled up and sleeping serenely. Yugi quietly crept into the room and took a seat on a rocking chair that was placed in a nearby corner. His eyes refused to drift away from the sight before him. The blonde looked so calm and placid that he didn't want to wake him. Suddenly, the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle appeared beside his hikari.

"What seems to be the trouble Yugi?" the spirit asked.

"N – nothing…" the younger of the two hesitantly replied.

"Doesn't look like nothing to me. I sense that you are worried about Joey. Is that correct my light?"

"Sort of. I'm just curious as to what's bothering him. He hasn't been acting like himself lately and I'm growing concerned."

"Of course you are. He is your best friend and best friends are made to look out for one another." Yami had learned a lot about friendship over the years and knew how much Yugi's friends meant to him.

Just then, both Yugi and Yami noticed that Joey was beginning to stir slightly. Yami withdrew himself back into the Millennium Puzzle as Yugi watched his friend start to awaken. When Joey slowly opened his eyes, he was a little startled to see someone sitting near the foot of his bed, watching him like a mother hawk.

"Yug?"

"Hey Joey. How are you feeling?" Yugi asked, trying to sound cheerful.

"Okay I guess. How come you're here? Did Kaiba let you in?"

"Yah. He told me that I could come visit you for a while. I've been really worried about Joey and so has everyone else. We really want to know what's troubling you because we've all noticed that lately you've been acting strangely." Yugi's concern was growing deeper by the minute.

"I'm fine Yug, really. I've just been sick the past few days, that's all. No big deal. I'll get over it," Joey lied. But what he didn't know was that Yugi saw right through that cover up story and began to raise even more suspicious.

"I don't think it's because you're sick Joey," Yugi spoke as he raised an eyebrow. "I think it's more than that."

Joey placed his hand on his forehead and sighed heavily. "Look Yug, nothing's bugging me. If something were, you'd know I'd tell you guys. It's just that, I haven't really been feeling like myself lately and things just haven't been going my way."

"Like what?" Yugi questioned, hoping to get a decent answer out of his friend.

"School mainly. It's just been really tough on me with exams and everything coming up. I can't stand the pressure." Joey hoped that that excuse would be good enough and Yugi would stop asking him a thousand questions. It's not that he didn't enjoy Yugi's company, he really did, but he just didn't want to tell him the truth. He thought that if he did, all his friends would hate him for keeping it a secret for so long. He couldn't take that risk.

"Well I told you that I would help you study," Yugi informed.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry about not getting a hold of you sooner but things just kept coming up…"

"Like what?"

"Errands that my father wants me to run for him. He's not usually home often so I have to do most of the grocery shopping." Joey then realized what he had said. He didn't want to mention anything about his father to Yugi or any of his friends because it would bring about more questions. He then decided to close his mouth and not say anything else.

"What does he do?" That was the question that Joey was hoping Yugi wouldn't ask. He couldn't just say that his father didn't work, lived on welfare and drank all the time. That wouldn't have sat well with him.

"Joey?" Yugi repeated.

"Huh? Oh, sorry Yug. I guess I kind of zoned out there."

"Looked that way. So, you never answered my question. What does your father do for a living?"

Joey didn't say anything for a minute and then began to speak. "I'll tell ya later, Yug. Right now I'm kind of getting tired and I really need to lay down for a little bit. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Well…" Yugi hesitated for a moment, wondering what was wrong with Joey and why he didn't seem to want to answer the question about his father. "Okay. Call me later and let me know how you're doing, all right?"

"No problem. See ya," and with that, the tri-coloured haired teen left the room, leaving Joey alone with his thoughts.

_Phew, dat was a close one. I really didn't want to lie to him but it was the only thing to say without making him suspicious about my life. I don't want to tell him that my father abuses me otherwise he'll become really concerned and tell all our friends. I don't want everyone knowing what goes on in my life. I left that asshole anyway and I'm never going back. I just hope he doesn't go to the police or I'll really be in hot water. There would be no escaping then, unless of course Kaiba decided to be nice for a change and stop them from taking me away. But I know that would never happen. He only took me in because of Mokuba. If it weren't for him, I'd still be on the street, starving with no place to go. Kaiba hates me and that's something that will never change… _


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: Do I Really Hate You?**

As Yugi walked back down the stairs, all he could think about was if Joey was going to be all right. He was really concerned for his friend and couldn't help thinking this way. He couldn't understand why he wasn't telling him the problems running through his mind. They were best friends and isn't that what best friends are supposed to do?

The moment he set foot downstairs, one of the maids came up to him, a worried look plastered across her face.

"Are you Yugi Motou?" she asked.

"Yes," he responded accordingly.

"Did you just come from visiting a Mr. Joey Wheeler?"

"Yes, I did." Yugi was confused as to why this girl was asking him all these questions but so as to not be rude, he answered them without any defiance. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I'm a friend of his and I was just wondering if he was doing okay. I'm really worried about him…" Her words than began to trail off so that eventually Yugi could not hear what she was saying.

"So am I. He's a friend of mine as well. But don't worry; he seems to be doing all right. With the exception of him not telling me what happened to inflict this condition upon him…"

"That sounds like the Joey I know. He's always been like that, every since we first met in grade school," the girl added almost silently.

"I'm sure he'll tell us eventually. He probably just needs some time to recuperate, that's all," Yugi stated, although even he wasn't sure of what the future outcome would be.

"You sure?" she inquired as a few tears fell from her beautiful crystalline orbs.

"Well I can't promise anything but I can be sure that he will recover soon enough and be back to his usual self." Yugi smiled to assure her that everything was going to be all right.

"Thanks Yugi." She returned the smile and led him to the door. "If anything comes up or if he looks like he's getting better, I'll give you a call, okay?"

"Okay, thanks…um…" Yugi blushed since he had forgotten to ask the girl her name.

"Oh, sorry. The name's Brianna," she replied.

Yugi then opened the door and went to step outside. "Well it was nice getting to know you Brianna and I do hope everything goes well with Joey."

"Don't worry. I'm sure everything will be fine." What she had said just now was different from what she was feeling. She didn't know what was going to happen with Joey and so all she could do at the moment was hope for the best. As Yugi left, she waved goodbye and then closed the door behind him. When the door clicked shut, she leaned up against it and began thinking.

_I do hope you'll be all right Jou. I know what happened and I feel just terrible. I know what your father is capable of and this time I say he went too far. I'm glad you left though. It must have taken a lot of courage to do that. I know I couldn't have done what you did. I'd be too scared of what the punishment would be if I were caught. But you don't think of those consequences; whatever you want to do, you do it. I have always respected you for that and I continue to throughout the years…_

* * *

As Yugi walked away from the mansion, he noticed a black limo pull into the driveway.

_That must be Kaiba, _he thought almost instinctively.

When the vehicle came to a halt, he saw the door swing open and none other than Seto Kaiba himself stepped out. He looked over in Yugi's direction with a slight glare.

"I was just leaving," the small teen spoke up without so much as a quiver in his voice.

"Hmph," was Seto's only, not to mention typical response. As he said that, a mess of raven locks appeared behind the older sibling and Mokuba stuck his head out of the limo.

"Hey Yugi!" he chirped, hopping out of the vehicle.

"Hey Mokuba. What's up?" It was hard to believe that Mokuba was related to his brother. They were completely different in so many ways. The pre-teen was always so enthusiastic and chipper, whereas his brother was more serious and hardhearted.

"Nothing much. Just get back from visiting Joey?" he asked, running up to the infamous King of Games.

"Yah…" Yugi replied with a sigh.

"What's wrong?" he inquired.

"What? Oh nothing. I was just thinking that's all." That statement made Mokuba a little suspicious. He began thinking that Joey's current state was affecting Yugi emotionally.

"Well you know you're always welcome to come and see him anytime you like." When the raven-haired child said that, Seto looked at him sternly as if to say, 'Mokuba…'

"Thanks. I really appreciate you doing this for Joey. You know, for taking him in and all…"

"That's no problem! We were happy to do it! Right Seto?" Mokuba exclaimed, looking up at his older brother.

"Yah, whatever."

Mokuba then leaned closer to Yugi and whispered in his ear. "He may not show it but he really didn't mind taking Joey into our home."

"I heard that Mokuba," Seto growled lowly.

"Well I got to go Yugi. I'll talk to you later, okay?" Mokuba then ran over to his brother's side, waving behind him.

"Yep. See you later!" Yugi tried to sound rather cheery but it was hard knowing the present circumstances. As he walked away, the only thoughts running through his mind were what he was going to tell his friends. Since Joey had not told him what really happened, he didn't have a clue as to what to say to the others. When he got to the end of the driveway, he rounded the corner and disappeared, headed in the direction of the Kame Game Shop.

* * *

Meanwhile, when Seto and Mokuba got inside the mansion, Mokuba raced up the stairs to his room. As soon as he got to the end of the hallway, he peered into Joey's room and noticed that he was sitting up in bed watching TV.

"Hey Joey!" he piped up, stepping into the room.

Joey was a little startled when he heard a voice but when he turned his head slightly to the left, he was surprised at just who was standing in the middle of the doorway. "Hey Mokuba! What's up?" he exclaimed.

"Nothing much. I just got home and am I ever glad that I did. Those classes were **_so _**boring!"

"Heh. Your brother make you take classes?"

"Yes. Music classes. When am I ever going to use the information they're cramming into my head? Does Seto think I'm going to become a musician or something?" the young child complained, folding his arms across his chest.

"That sucks."

"Does it ever," Mokuba added. "So, do you want to come into my room and play video games until dinner?" he offered.

Joey then immediately perked up. "Sure! I've been waiting for you to ask that!"

"Great! But this time you won't win! I got a new game and I've been playing it every day. No one can beat me." Mokuba then began to impersonate an evil laugh.

"We'll just see about that now won't we?" Joey smirked, throwing the covers off himself. When he went to stand up, a surge of pain shot up through his whole body just like the last time. Again, he held back a scream, but by the look on his face you could tell that he was in pain.

"Are you okay Joey? Do you need any help?" Mokuba asked worriedly, grabbing a hold of the blonde's arm.

"Nah, I'm okay. I'll manage." But that was easier said than done. As he tried to walk, the pain just became worse.

"Are you sure? Here, let me help you." Joey was just about to refuse when he decided that it was probably better if Mokuba **_did _**help him after all.

With Mokuba holding his one arm and Joey clutching the wall with his other hand, they eventually made it to the younger Kaiba's room where Joey went to sit down on his bed the first chance he got. He let out a sigh of relief as Mokuba went to pop a game into the Gamecube.

"What game are we playing?" Joey inquired.

"Soul Calibur II. Seto bought it for me for my birthday and I've been playing it ever since. That was why I said you probably wouldn't be able to beat me," Mokuba smirked.

"Let's just see then, shall we?" And with that, both began playing, each one trying to become the victor.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Seto's office/room, he wasn't working on his computer nor was he trying to come up with future plans for Kaiba Corp. He was too busy thinking about other matters. Surprisingly enough, he was thinking about Joey. He never did like the blonde-haired teen but he couldn't help wondering what had happened to him the night he had found him lying nearly unconscious in that alleyway. Did he run away from home or did someone beat him senseless and leave him there to suffer? He tried to shake all those thoughts out of his mind but they refused to leave. He couldn't comprehend why he was thinking this way. He hated Wheeler, that part was for certain. He just couldn't understand why he was feeling **_sorry _**for him all of a sudden. This just wasn't like him.

_Maybe Mokuba's caring attitude is rubbing off on me… _He pondered with that statement for quite some time. His brother was always so chipper and it was hard not to be when you were around him…


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: The Truth Revealed**

Later that evening, when five o'clock had finally rolled around, both Joey and Mokuba were starving. Seto had informed the both of them that dinner would be served shortly.

"How long is it going to take? I'm hungry," Mokuba complained holding his stomach as it let out a loud growl.

"You're not the only one," Joey added as he fell back onto the bed. That was when one of the maids, who happened to be the one Yugi had met earlier, walked into the room carrying two trays in her hands.

"Hey guys. Are you hungry?" she asked with a pleasant smile.

"Hey Brianna. We're starving!" Mokuba replied as he took the trays from her and set them both down on the dresser. "Thanks. I'm sure it will be good." The young pre-teen smiled amiably as Brianna took her leave.

"I wonder what they prepared?" Joey wondered as Mokuba lifted up both the lids so the blonde could see what was underneath. Just by looking at it, you could tell that it was gourmet: linguini with meat sauce and different kinds of spices topped with shrimp. It was also served with delicious-looking garlic bread with melted butter. On the side was a glass of homemade fruit wine for the both of them.

"This looks so good!" Joey exclaimed, grabbing a fork and swirling the pasta around it. Mokuba nodded his head in agreement as he too started eating.

* * *

Meanwhile, Seto Kaiba had already finished his meal and was now working on some plans for new Kaiba Corp. technology. He also had to organize a meeting to discuss other important matters, which he was not too thrilled about. Suddenly, he heard a knock at the door and told whomever it was to come in.

"It's just me, sir," a female voice sounded as the door pushed open slowly and quietly.

Seto looked up to see who was standing before him. "Brianna? What do you want?" he asked, although to Brianna it sounded as if he was annoyed. She knew that he hated being disturbed when he was working but she really needed to talk to him.

"I wanted to talk to you about Joey," she replied, shifting her gaze to the floor. She knew that he probably wouldn't listen to a word she had to say as soon as she mentioned the blonde's name but it was worth a try.

"What about him?" the CEO muttered under his breath, not even looking up from his computer screen.

"Well, I was just wondering…um…how long were you planning on letting him stay here?" she asked, hoping for a decent answer.

"However long it takes for him to heal completely. I don't want him staying here any longer than he has too," Seto informed sternly.

"But…" She was about to mention the fact that Joey couldn't go home but she didn't want to cause any more trouble. Besides, she remembered promising Joey that she would never tell anyone about his father or his home life no matter what the circumstances. But this was different. If she told Seto, it could determine whether Joey lived or…

"I don't have time for this. When Wheeler fully recuperates, he's gone. I don't care where he goes but he's not staying here. I've got enough to do as it is and I don't need to take care of someone who's perfectly capable of taking care of himself."

"You don't get it, do you?" Brianna's voice was slowly rising to a peak.

"Don't get what?" Seto raised an eyebrow, curious as to what she was getting at.

"That Joey's life isn't what you think it is!"

"What are you talking about?" The chocolate-haired, blue-eyed teen was still oblivious to what she meant.

Brianna let out a deep sigh before she continued her speech. "Joey's father abuses him. That's the reason he ran away from home. That's why you found him lying in that alleyway. He didn't know where else to go. He doesn't want to tell his friends because he's afraid that they'll hate him for keeping this a secret from them for so long. He's only told me because we've known each other since we were really young. We've known each other even before he met Yugi and the others. He didn't want me telling anyone else but I felt that I had to tell you. You were nice enough to take Joey into your home and it's only fair that you find out the truth. Please don't tell anyone else what I just told you. Not even Mokuba. I don't want Joey to find out I told you. It would break his heart to know I broke a promise to him and that's something I don't want to do."

Seto was silent for a moment, for he didn't know what to say. All of this had hit him so hard. He never knew that Joey had such a rough life. It almost reminded him of his and Mokuba's past with Gozaburo Kaiba. Joey's father abused him just like Gozaburo abused him at a young age. Seto wouldn't normally feel compassion for someone like Joey but after hearing what Brianna had told him, he couldn't help feeling even a little sympathetic.

"I didn't know…" Seto finally managed to say.

"Well now you do. Just please; promise me you won't mention a word of this to anyone. Especially Joey. When you're around him, act like you don't know anything about what I told you; just act normal. I'm sure that won't be too hard for you." She smirked as she said the last part.

"I…I won't…" Seto didn't know why he said what he did. Maybe it was because he could relate to the blonde-haired teen in the sense of their pasts. They were both abused as a child and in Joey's case as a teen as well. They both had to fend for themselves most of their lives and were forced to do everything on their own with no moral support or guidance to help them along the way. But in a way, it strengthened their emotional spirits. Since no one had offered to tend to their needs, they had no choice but to learn how to do everything on their own.

"Thanks Seto. I knew I could count on you." Brianna flashed a bright smile before exiting the room. Out of all the maids in the mansion, she was the only one that had developed such a close bond with the CEO.

As soon as she disappeared out of sight, Seto leaned back in his leather chair and sighed, trying to process all the information that he had just acquired.

_I never knew Wheeler's life was so dramatic. Now I know why he doesn't want to return home. His whole life is filled with pain and suffering. I don't think anyone would want to go back to living like that. _Sighing heavily, he continued to think. _Sounds just like living with Gozaburo…endless days and endless nights of nothing but pure pain and torture. As much as I hate to admit it, I kind of feel sorry for Wheeler. After living a life similar to his, it's kind of hard not to feel at least some compassion for him. I know how hard it can be, living on your own with no one to turn to in times of crisis. Maybe I ought to check up on him…just to see how he's doing. I won't be long. I have to get back to my work anyway. _Then he got up out of his chair and walked casually out of the room and down the hall to Joey's room. He still felt weird comforting his rival but whenever he began to have second thoughts, he brought all of his attention back to what Brianna had told him earlier. No matter how much he despised him, even Seto Kaiba couldn't ignore someone with a pain-filled life…not since he himself had experienced such pain as a child.

* * *

_**Luna, Princess of the Shadows: **I am aware that this chapter is shorter than most of the others but I wanted the confrontation between Joey and Seto to be a chapter in itself. Sorry if I left all of you with a little bit of a cliffhanger but it shouldn't be long until I post chapter seven. Thanks for all your wonderful reviews so far and I look forward to seeing more of them! I am glad that you are enjoying this story so far. I must admit, for my first yaoi fic it seems to be going pretty good if I do say so myself. What do you guys think? Anyway, I suppose I shall end this here, let you all review and get started on chapter seven. Ja ne everyone! _


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: Resistance to Love**

As Seto walked down the hallway in total silence, the only thing on his mind was the fact that he was actually concerned for someone like Wheeler. That thought still refused to leave the corridors of his mind and quite frankly he was getting tired of it. True, they may have experienced similar tragedies in both their lives but what really boggled the young CEO's mind was that it had to be Joey Wheeler of all people.

_I'm only doing this for Mokuba. _Seto kept reminding himself of that small detail over and over again so that he wouldn't turn his back and leave. As soon as he approached the door that led into Joey's room, he noticed that it was wide open. The moment he stepped into the room, Joey looked up from where he had been sitting and literally gaped at the sight before him.

"What are you doing here, rich boy?" he asked, almost with a sort of sneer to his voice. He wasn't expecting anyone to come and see him, especially not Seto Kaiba. He thought that he would have been too busy with his work to even eat, let alone visit one of his own worst enemies.

"Well if you must know Wheeler, Mokuba wanted me to check up on you to make sure you were doing all right. I'm not doing this out of the goodness of my heart you know. I'm not one of your nerdy friends and don't plan on becoming one. The only reason I took you into my house was because of my brother, I told you that already. So don't expect anything from me because if it's anything to do with friendship or anything of that sort, more than likely you won't get what you want."

"Someone seems to be a little rough around the edges, don't ya think?" Joey arched an eyebrow at this comment.

Seto kept his cool for the most part. He wasn't going to release all of his rage on Joey, but he didn't want to keep it bottled up either. Whenever someone spoke of him being **_rough around the edges _**in the way Joey phrased it, he never seemed to take it too well. Then again, who would?

"Listen Wheeler. You know nothing about my life or me for that matter. I'm the way I am for a reason. Do you think I like being this way? Do you think I like having to spend endless hours working at Kaiba Corp? I'd rather be with my brother during those times but I have no choice. Someone has to run the company and I don't trust anyone but myself to do it. That's why I want Mokuba to live his life to its fullest extent. I never could do that, what with the way Gozaburo treated me. He made me work day and night with hardly any rest. I didn't have the chance to do the things most children were doing at my age. I had to work while they got to play. Do you think that was fun? That's why I don't see **_fun_** like you and your friends do; I never got the chance to experience it for myself. So before you go thinking that I have a boring life, think about what I just said. It may give you a clearer vision on reality, which is something I don't think you have." As Seto spoke, his tone seemed slightly depressing.

As Joey took in all that he heard, he began to realize that Seto's life isn't all that it seems. _He has problems too; problems that aren't so noticeable at first sight._

"That sounds kind of like my life and what my father does to me…" Joey's voice then sank low as he started to enter a depressive state.

Seto then began to grow rather concerned and inquisitive as to what Joey would say. "What do you mean?" He knew that Joey's father abused him but he didn't want the blonde to find out that Brianna had told him. He wasn't about to break the long-lasting friendship bond that the two shared.

"My father…he…he abuses me…not just physically but emotionally as well…" Joey stuttered with his words, finding it difficult to tell someone, other than Brianna, about his pain-filled life.

"As you heard, that's just how my life was." This sign of sympathy wasn't something that the usual cold-hearted teen showed all the time, but from all that he heard from Brianna and now Joey, he couldn't help that feeling. As he looked into Joey's chocolate brown orbs, he could see that the blonde was indeed suffering internally and it caused a sharp pain in his heart. However, with a slight nod of his head he urged Joey to continue.

"My father's an alcoholic. He drinks every night, and every night he beats me. Some nights are worse than others. Sometimes it's so bad that I can't even show my face at school the next day, so I just hang out somewhere until it's time to go home. I can't stay home from school because if I do my father will force me to go using drastic measures, which I'm quite aware of…" Joey then began to trail off, trying to keep his voice steady.

Just then, the unthinkable happened. Unaware of his actions, Seto sat down on the bed next to the blonde and wrapped his arms around him in a warm embrace. Joey was just as confused as Seto as to why he had done that. It felt like one minute they were fighting to no end and the next they were snuggled up against each other like two sweet, tender kittens. However, to both the teens' surprise, they rather enjoyed being in the comfort of one another's arms. Nonetheless, this moment didn't last long. Seto soon realized what he had done and quickly pulled away, leaving Joey looking rather dumbfounded.

"What was that about?" Joey asked as Seto refused to say even a word for the longest time. By the look on the elder Kaiba's face, you could tell that he was slightly embarrassed, which is something you rarely see. He couldn't understand why he had done what he did and knew that if anyone were to find out about it, he would never hear the end of it.

"Listen Wheeler. You better not tell anyone what I just did or I swear you'll regret it. What just happened was purely coincidental and nothing that I would do again. Understand?" he spoke in such a voice that one would be a fool to disobey.

Joey was unsure of what to say for fear that it would get him into trouble so he just nodded his head in response. Seto grunted and then departed from the room, which was now filled with an eerie silence. The blonde fell back on the bed and sighed. What just happened sure didn't seem like a coincidence to him. It seemed more like Seto **_wanted _**to hold him. But that didn't make any sense. Why would Seto Kaiba, of all people, want to be with and hold someone like him? The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Was he falling for him? Joey shuddered. No, that couldn't be it. Seto Kaiba just didn't seem like the type of person to fall in love, especially with one of his own worst enemies. It just didn't seem right. But for some reason, Joey just couldn't shake that thought out of his mind. Maybe Seto really did love him and he just didn't want to admit it. Lots of people are like that. Why, Joey himself was like that when he wanted to confess his feelings to Mai. However, their relationship didn't work out because Mai eventually moved to Las Vegas and couldn't handle the stress of a long-distance relationship. But this was different. This was about his yearlong enemy falling for **_him_**. It seemed crazy until Joey started to realize his inner feelings. Now it was like he was falling for the charm of Seto Kaiba. But he couldn't be, could he? It just didn't seem right, falling in love with a guy. Dating a girl is one thing, but dating a guy? It just didn't seem like it would be accepted in society. If two girls were seen together, holding hands, people come to recognize that as **_normal. _**However, if two guys are seen walking down the street hand-in-hand, people consider it wrong. Joey didn't want to be talked about in that way, but yet he couldn't resist his inner feelings either. What was he to do? Give in to love or let society win? It was a hard decision, one that would take some time to consider.

* * *

Meanwhile with Seto Kaiba, all he could think about was what just occurred in Joey's room. He still couldn't comprehend why he had done what he did. Was it pure instinct? Sometimes when his brother was feeling despondent he would draw him into a hug and comfort him until his mood would change to a more lighter one. But this wasn't Mokuba. This was Joey Wheeler, one of his worst enemies and he was actually drawing him closer to himself. That wasn't like him. Everyone knew that Seto Kaiba wasn't one to get close to anyone other than his brother so why was it that he was acting so strangely around Joey? Was it that he was falling in love with him? No, absolutely not. Seto shuddered, trying to rid his mind of those horrid thoughts. He wasn't falling in love with Joey that was for certain. If he were falling in love with Joey Wheeler and people started finding out, his life would be ruined forever. No matter how much his emotions tried to persuade him, he was not going to give in to love. He didn't need anyone except his brother, especially not someone who he has never liked to begin with. Love was for fools and Seto Kaiba was no fool.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: Thawing a Frozen Heart**

As Seto recollected his thoughts and began focusing more on present matters, Mokuba burst into the room looking rather flustered.

"Seto!"

"What is it Mokuba?" He shifted a glance over in his brother's direction, wondering what the problem was.

"Joey's leaving!" he exclaimed worriedly.

On the outside, Seto didn't seem to take much notice of this. But deep down, he didn't want Joey to leave. After hearing about what his home life was like, he couldn't understand why the blonde would want to return to it. But he wasn't about to tell Mokuba all of this, even if he was his brother. It would only worry him more. "Mokuba?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think you could bring Joey in here? I want to talk to him before he leaves."

"Sure. I think he's still in his room. I was just in there a few minutes ago and he was still packing. I'll go get him." With that, the raven-haired child disappeared from the room.

Meanwhile, all Seto could think about now was what would happen to Joey if he really did go back home. He knew his father wasn't exactly the greatest parent in the world and he didn't exactly trust him. Then again, who would trust a short-tempered, raging alcoholic with his seventeen-year-old son? No one with any common sense, that's for sure. As he continued to contemplate all the possible outcomes, he saw the familiar blonde-haired teen enter the room.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Joey's voice sounded almost dismal as he leaned up against the doorframe.

"Yes I did. Why are you planning on leaving? You know you're not well enough yet," the brunette stated matter-of-factly.

"And why are you so concerned, Mr. I only care about myself and my brother?" Joey retorted with a glare.

"Maybe because I know what your father is capable of and what he'll probably do to you when you get home. Why the hell would you want to go back?" Seto's voice was now slowly rising to its peak.

"Because maybe certain people don't want me staying in their house any longer. Yes, I know what you think of me staying here. Both Brianna and Mokuba told me. They said that you are only letting me stay here until I'm fully recovered and then I have to leave. Sounds to me like you aren't concerned for my well being at all. You say that you're worried about what my father might do to me when I get home, but if you're so vexed about the situation then why are you practically **_forcing _**me to leave?" Joey questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Seto was silent for a few minutes before he replied. "No one's forcing you to leave Wheeler. I only said that because I don't want you living here forever. I didn't say that you had to return to your father. You can go stay with Yugi if you wanted to. I don't care…" But before the CEO had the chance to continue, Joey intervened.

"See what I mean? You don't care. You said it yourself. You don't care about anyone except your brother and yourself. True, you may not be forcing me to go back to my father, but what happens if my friends don't let me stay with them? I can't tell them about my life because I know that they'll probably hate me for keeping it a secret from them for so long…"

"They won't hate you," Seto interrupted.

"How would you know? You don't have any friends so I doubt you would understand what I mean." Joey turned his head away from the CEO.

Seto hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to respond. Then it came to him. "Because friends like yours won't hate you for something like that. If they really are true friends, then do you really think they'd hate you just because you didn't tell them one thing? They'll understand that you never wanted to bring much attention to your life and will try to help you. I may not have friends like you but I know that they will never abandon you. I know that from Mokuba."

Joey was almost stunned for words. Did that just come from Seto Kaiba? **_The_** Seto Kaiba who hated friendship and everything about it? Was this that same one? He couldn't believe it, but then again, when you hang around Mokuba enough, his amorous attitude usually ends up rubbing off on you. "So you do have a soft side after all," Joey smirked.

Seto just glared. "Shut it Wheeler. Just because I'm acting nice now, doesn't mean I'll be acting like this all the time," he corrected.

"I could of guessed that," Joey replied with a hint of sarcasm.

Just then, it seemed as though the brunette's cocky attitude returned. "Whatever. If you want to go back to your father then so be it. I'm not going to stop you. But if you get hurt again, don't come crawling back here because I won't have any sympathy for you. You've chosen to go back so if anything happens you have nobody to blame but yourself."

Joey knew that Seto was right but he didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that. "Like I would even come back here," and with that, the blonde turned around and left the room, not bothering to say another word.

"Good riddance," Seto mumbled under his breath as he returned to working on his computer.

* * *

Meanwhile back in Joey's room, Mokuba appeared in the doorway.

"Hey Joey." His voice didn't seem to hold the excitement that it normally did. Instead, it held a rather dull sort of ring to it.

"Hey Mokuba," Joey replied, packing a few more things into his duffel bag.

"So you're still leaving?" the raven-haired child inquired.

"Yep. Your brother obviously doesn't want me around here anymore. The way I see it, I'm better off where I started."

"But you can't go back home! You know what your father's capable of and once he finds out that you ran away, who knows what he'll do to you!" Mokuba pleaded, tugging on Joey's black shirt, which was the one that Seto had leant him earlier.

"I have no choice kiddo," Joey said as he picked up his bag and headed out the door, brushing past Mokuba on the way. He ruffled the pre-teen's mess of raven locks and started down the hall. Mokuba eagerly followed, hoping to convince Joey to stay.

"Please don't go! I'll try and convince my brother to let you stay! At least until you're better! Just please don't leave. Since you got here, I've never had so much fun in my life. You're really cool to be around and I don't want anything to happen to you. Please reconsider your decision Joey, please!" Mokuba begged, tugging even more on Joey's shirt.

"Sorry," was Joey's last response before he slipped quietly out the door so no one else in the mansion would hear him.

"Joey!" A few tears fell from Mokuba's now faded glass orbs as he watched the blonde walk down the driveway and disappear around the corner. He then fell to his knees in bitter sadness. All he could think about was what Joey's father would do to him once he got home. He couldn't believe that Seto wouldn't let Joey stay in the mansion any longer. Didn't he care even the slightest bit about what could happen to him? He wasn't fully recovered and yet he was already on his way home, or what he used to call home. Mokuba then decided to talk to his brother about all this. There was no point in sitting on the floor, moping about what could happen. So he quickly got up and ran upstairs to his brother's room, prepared to tell him exactly how he felt about the whole situation.

* * *

Meanwhile, Seto Kaiba, who sat hacking away at his laptop, was completely unprepared for what was about to happen next. Suddenly, he noticed his brother standing in the doorway in front of him. But he did not look as happy as he normally did. In fact, he was looking rather angry and upset.

"What's wrong Mokie?"

"You should know what's wrong."

Seto was confused. He could tell that his brother was upset about something but he just couldn't comprehend what it was. "Tell me what's bothering you and I can help."

"I think you've helped enough." Mokuba narrowed his eyes into slits as he spoke.

"What did I do?" Seto inquired.

"It's about Joey," was all Mokuba had to say before Seto caught on.

Seto paused for a moment before he replied. "I take it you know what I told Wheeler before he left?"

"Yes and I must say that that was completely un-called for. You know Joey hasn't fully recovered and yet you insist on sending him back home. Why would you do that? Why?"

"I didn't **_force _**him to go back home. I told him that he could stay at a friend's house if he wanted but he said he couldn't. He didn't want them finding out what his life was like because he figured that they would hate him for keeping it a secret for so long. I tried to tell him that they wouldn't hate him but he refused to listen to me," Seto informed.

"But why would you even send him out in the first place? I told you he's not well enough yet. What's going to happen if he returns home and his father beats him until he's on the verge of death? What will you do then? I bet then you'll regret sending him out."

Seto continually tried to reassure his brother that he didn't send Joey out on purpose but Mokuba refused to believe him. Just then, Seto got an idea. "Mokuba?"

"What?" the pre-teen practically sneered at his older sibling.

"What would you say if I went out to look for Joey? If I find him, he can come to stay with us. Okay?" Seto didn't normally offer to do things like this, especially to help one of his own worst enemies. However, he couldn't stand seeing his brother upset and whenever he was, the elder Kaiba would do almost anything to cheer him up again, including rescuing Joey Wheeler.

Mokuba's frown then turned into a smile. "Okay Seto! That sounds like a great idea! I'll meet you in the limo outside!" With that, Mokuba rushed out the door and down the stairs.

Seto sighed as he saved what he was doing and turned off his computer. He then stood up from his chair and sauntered over towards the door. He continued walking down the hallway and down the long, spiral staircase. As much as he hated to admit it, he was rather concerned for the safety of the blonde-haired teen. He hoped that no harm would come to him; if something did, whoever did it to him was going to regret that they ever lived…

* * *

_**Luna, Princess of the Shadows: **Aww…Seto's lightening up. How cute._

_**Luna (My yami): **-scoffs- I still say he's a cold-hearted bastard._

_**Luna, Princess of the Shadows: **Now, now, be nice. _

_**Luna: **Whatever. He's still a jerk in my eyes. _

_**Luna, Princess of the Shadows: **She's just mad because she hasn't got to see her boyfriend Nitro in a while. But on another note, please review and tell me…_

_**Luna: **Us!_

_**Luna, Princess of the Shadows: **Okay…tell **us **what you thought of this chapter. Ja ne everyone!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: Find Me**

Since his limo driver was on vacation for the next month, Seto decided to break in his new 2005 blue Trans Am. When he pulled out of the garage, Mokuba in the passenger seat next to him, he backed out of the driveway and turned right, hoping that that was the way Joey had gone.

"I hope we find Joey soon," Mokuba sighed.

Seto looked over at his brother with unusual caring eyes. "Don't worry Mokie. We'll find him. It just might take awhile because we have no idea where he ran off to." That was the downfall to his plan. Neither of the two brothers knew where Joey lived so that was going to require some heavy thinking.

As they drove through downtown Domino, both brothers kept their eyes wide open for any sign of Joey. When they didn't spot him anywhere, they decided to park the car along the side of the road and get out and look for him.

"Joey!" Mokuba shouted as Seto remained silent. Mokuba folded his arms across his chest as he looked up into Seto's cerulean blue eyes with a cold, hard stare. "Seto! Don't you even care if we find Joey or not? This was your idea after all!" the pre-teen lectured.

"I'm looking Mokuba," Seto replied simply, keeping his tone rather firm.

Mokuba let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. Let's just hope we find him. I'd say finding Joey is a lot more important than standing here on the brink of an argument." With that, both brothers continued down the street, searching high and low for the blonde-haired teen.

* * *

Meanwhile, Joey had just arrived at the foot of his doorstep. He tried to work up the courage to open the door, or more specifically, the Gateway to Hell, but could barely move his hands from his sides. Suddenly, he heard the door slowly creak open, but to his surprise, no one was standing in front of him when it swung open all the way. He silently stepped inside, only to realize that the house was dead quiet, perhaps even too quiet. The TV was off and there were bags of open chips and pop cans lying all over the floor and on the furniture. Cigarette smoke and the stench of alcohol filled the air.

_Dad must be out drinking again, _Joey assumed and then started thinking. _But if he's out drinking, then who opened the door? _He shuddered, almost afraid to know who was in the house. All of a sudden, he felt a cold hand touch his shoulder. He shivered. When he whisked around, the first sight he saw was…

"Yug!" Joey practically screamed with joy. He was almost ecstatic, knowing full well that his father wasn't in the house…or at least he hoped not. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see if you wanted to come to the arcade today. Tea, Tristan, Ryou and Duke are all going. We haven't been able to hang out with you the past couple of days and thought that you'd want to make up for it."

"Gee Yug, that sounds like a lot of fun but there's some things I got to do around here first."

"Like what? No one's even here. I'm sure your father won't mind if you go out for a couple of hours."

_He doesn't know the half of it, _Joey thought to himself. "I really should clean up around here. After all, this is partly my house and I need to keep at least **_some _**of it clean." He knew that this was a stupid excuse, but what else was he going to say?

"Are you sure?" Yugi asked again, hoping that Joey would eventually change his mind.

"I'm sure. But if I get done early I'll try and make it, okay?"

"Okay," Yugi said as he took his leave. "Bye Joey," he called out.

"Bye Yug," Joey called back as he shut the door. "Now, where do I start?" He sighed heavily, coughing as he inhaled some of the cigarette smoke.

"You can start by telling me where you've been for the past few days," a voice boomed from the stairway. Joey almost instinctively knew who was speaking to him.

"Who wants to know?" he replied sarcastically.

"The one you ran away from…" it spoke slyly as a male figure stepped out of the shadows. It was Mr. Wheeler all right; there was no mistaking someone like him. He still had his reeking, alcohol smelling clothes on, his hair was a mess and his face was in a class of its own. Let's just say it's something you don't want to meet in a dark alley. He scowled at Joey. "Tell me where you've been you little punk," he demanded.

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because if you don't, you won't live to see another day ever again…" his father threatened menacingly. However, Joey didn't seem afraid of him or his threats.

"You say that every time and what happens? Nothing, that's what. So why should I be afraid of someone who doesn't even back up his own threats?" Joey remarked.

It was then that Mr. Wheeler sauntered over towards Joey, barely able to keep his balance due to all the alcohol he had consumed. When he was merely inches away from the blonde, he raised his hand and slapped his face hard. Joey hardly flinched as he moved his own hand to cover up the now forming red mark.

"That's for everything you've put me through, you little fuck," the large man sneered as he then pushed Joey into the wall, causing a rather expensive-looking vase to smash into a thousand pieces onto the floor. Mr. Wheeler grumbled. "Good for nothing son…" With that he left the house, leaving Joey in a heap on the floor. The red mark on his face had now begun to turn a bluish-purple colour. He could barely move; all he did was lie on the floor and hope that his father wouldn't return. He tried to reach for the phone, which was sitting on the couch only a few feet away. He crawled over to it and picked it up.

"Maybe I should call Yugi," Joey pondered aloud and then quickly reconsidered his decision when he thought of all the questions he would ask. He couldn't tell him what his father had done to him, even if he was his best friend. It would only worry him and that's something Joey didn't want to do. Suddenly, a thought struck his mind and then vanished almost as quickly as it came. He thought that he could call Seto and then almost immediately remembered what he had said before…

_Flashback _

_"Whatever. If you want to go back to your father then so be it. I'm not going to stop you. But if you get hurt again, don't come crawling back here because I won't have any sympathy for you. You've chosen to go back so if anything happens you have nobody to blame but yourself."_

_End Flashback_

"There's no way I can call Kaiba now. He won't care about anything I tell him, unless…" He pulled out something from his pocket and examined it. It was a little slip of paper with something written on it. It was Mokuba's cell phone number. He could call the young pre-teen and not have to talk to Seto Kaiba himself. That way, Mokuba could convince his brother to take Joey in again and everything would be fine…he hoped. He then quickly dialed the number on the cordless phone and waited for an answer.

"Come on, come on. Please be there," Joey kept repeating to himself over and over again.

"Hello?" a voice on the other line answered.

"Hey, is this Mokuba?" Joey asked.

"Yes, who's calling?"

"It's Joey." That response gave Mokuba a shock to the system.

"JOEY!" he practically screamed into the phone. Seto, who was standing next to him, let out a rather annoyed sigh.

"Yah, it's me. Hey, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming by my house. I kind of got myself into a little predicament…" Joey chuckled a little.

"Are you okay?" Mokuba asked worriedly.

"I'm doing pretty good. I'm alive, that's a bonus," Joey smirked inwardly.

"That's good and I'm sure it won't be a problem to come and see you. I'm sure Seto won't mind." All Joey could hear in the background was Seto grumbling and muttering a few words of which he didn't hear. Just then, Mokuba started up the conversation again. "Um, Joey? We can come to your house…if we knew where it was, that is…" The raven-haired child scratched his head with a little bit of confusion.

"Oh, heh, heh. Sorry about that. My address is 400 Oak Avenue, Unit #2," Joey informed.

"Okay, thanks Joey! We'll be there as soon as we can!" Mokuba exclaimed and then shut his cell phone.

When Joey had hung up, all he could think about was if Seto and Mokuba would make it in time…before his father came home again…

* * *

"So, now that we know where Joey lives, it should be easy to find him," Mokuba stated rather cheerily.

"Mhm…" Seto mumbled as they continued down the street. When they came to the corner, they looked up and saw that they were now on Oak Avenue.

"Well that was easy!" the raven-haired pre-teen smiled gleefully. "Now all we have to do is find his apartment. It shouldn't be that hard."

Seto murmured something under his breath that Mokuba could not make out. Instead of making a fuss, the younger Kaiba just ignored it and started down the sidewalk once again, his brother following closely behind.

* * *

"Where are they? I do hope they come soon. Wait a minute. What am I talking about? They? I thought I was just hoping for Mokuba, not that jerk Kaiba. Oh well. I guess I can't have everything my way. I just hope they come soon otherwise my father will beat them here and Ra knows what else he'll do to me…" Joey then trailed off as he started to fall into a deep sleep. However, his mind was not filled with dreams…it was filled with nothing but nightmares, haunting him mercilessly. He curled up into a small ball, waiting, hoping that someone would find him…


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: Rescue**

As Seto and Mokuba continued down Oak Avenue, they finally came to an old, ramshackle apartment that looked as if it had been abandoned for years. At first glance, they would have never suspected that anyone lived there. However, upon closer inspection, they noticed the number on the house was in fact 400 and the unit number, which looked like it was ready to fall off the door, was 2.

"So this is where Joey lives?" Mokuba asked, examining the building.

"I guess so," Seto replied in a low voice.

"Should… Should we go in?"

"Might as well," the brunette replied simply. Both brothers then started up the stairs, each step creaking under their weight. When they got up to the door, Seto rang the doorbell, wondering if anyone would answer.

"Do you think Joey's okay?" Mokuba inquired, looking up at his older sibling with curious eyes.

"I don't know Mokuba but I guess we'll just have to wait and find out," the elder Kaiba responded, keeping a straight face. It was then that they saw the door handle turn and when the door swung open, they, or should I say Mokuba, was relieved to see who was standing in front of them.

"JOEY!" he exclaimed, running up to the blonde and embracing him in a warm hug.

"Hey kiddo." Joey winced when Mokuba grabbed a hold of him. His body was still sore from the beating that he took from his father.

Mokuba then looked up at Joey's face and gasped. "What happened to your face?" He was referring to the large, bluish-purple bruise that had formed on the blonde's once clear complexion. "Your father did that to you, didn't he?"

"Would it hurt if I said yes?"

"No. We're just glad that we found you in time. We should really get you back to the mansion so you can rest - " It was then that Mokuba was cut off in mid-sentence by a gruff-sounding voice that came from the doorway where Seto had been standing the whole time. Everyone turned to look at who had just entered the house but only Joey knew who it was.

"What are you doing here?" the blonde sneered.

"I should ask your little friends here the same question."

"What do you want with Joey?" Mokuba demanded. At that moment, the young pre-teen hadn't realized that he was beginning to sound like his brother more and more as he spoke to the man.

"Aren't I entitled to be able to spend time with my own son?" Mr. Wheeler put on a fake smile and Mokuba glared at him.

"So you're Joey's father?"

"That is correct. Who might you be?" he asked, turning to look at Seto and then back to Mokuba.

Seto was the first one to reply to the man's question. "I'm Seto Kaiba and this here is my brother Mokuba. We're here to take Joey away from you and I highly suggest not getting in our way." Even though he was being respectful of the blonde's well being, which was highly unlike him, the CEO still managed to keep a firm tone in tact.

"So now you're threatening me?" Mr. Wheeler scoffed. "I'm **_so_** scared," he added with undeniable sarcasm.

"You should be." With that said, Seto ambled over to Joey's father, picked him up by the throat and pinned him to the wall. "Now are you scared? I said we're taking your son away from you and that's exactly what I plan to do. Nothing is going to stop me, not you, not anything. So unless you want to feel more pain, I suggest you let us go. What do you say?" The look in Seto's eyes as he spoke would make even the toughest of men quiver. Joey grinned at the sight of his father, the one who constantly beat him senseless, having the tables turned on him at long last.

"Now you know how I feel," Joey muttered under his breath, but loud enough for his father to hear.

Mr. Wheeler grumbled something that no one could hear as Seto released his grip and dropped him to the floor. The two Kaiba brothers took that opportunity to get Joey out of the house. Seto lifted him over his shoulder and hurried out the door with Mokuba following closely behind. Once they rounded the corner, both began to slow down their pace. When they saw Seto's car just ahead, they walked over to it, placed Joey into the back seat and got into the front. As soon as their seatbelts were fastened, Seto started the engine and in two seconds flat they were off and on their way back to the mansion.

* * *

When they arrived at the Kaiba Estate, they saw a familiar female figure standing at the front door. She wore the typical black and white maid's outfit and had her long, black hair, streaked with red, tied back into a ponytail. Her shoes coincided with her hair and outfit, being black with a slight heel. When the limo came closer, Seto, Mokuba and Joey all knew who it was.

"Brianna!" Mokuba exclaimed as the limo came to a halt. He then swung open the door and climbed out, running up the stairs to greet his friend. "What are you doing out here?" he asked curiously.

The young girl smiled at the raven-haired child as she spoke. "Well, when I heard that you and your brother were out looking for Joey, I decided to wait here until your return. I couldn't help but worry about my best friend." It was then that the said blonde got out of the limo and saw Brianna coming down the stairs with Mokuba in tow.

"Hey Brie." Joey winced as he spoke; the pain his father had caused him still remained, much to his displeasure. Brianna ran to his side as soon as she saw that he was in pain.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly, linking her arm under his to help keep him steady.

"Yah, I'm fine. I'm just a little sore, that's all," Joey replied.

"I could of guessed. I take it your father…"

"Won't be bothering him anyone," Seto finished. Brianna looked at him, her eyes sparked with curiosity.

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. Joey's father won't be bothering him anymore. He learned his lesson the hard way…"

"What did you do?" Brianna knew that the CEO had a short temper with people like Mr. Wheeler and wondered what he could of possibly done to the man. Not that she cared about him; in fact, she was rather happy that he wasn't going to be a nuisance to Joey any longer.

"That's my little secret," Seto replied with a small smirk. It was small, but at least it was something coming from the normally serious businessman.

"I see," Brianna said and then turned to Joey who was still in her grips. "Well I guess we should get you inside and tend to your wounds. Looks like your father did a number on your face." The bruise that had once been the size of a small ball now took up one whole side of Joey's face.

"Thanks Brie." The girl nodded and headed up the stairs to the large doors of the mansion. Mokuba ran up ahead of them and opened the door for the two friends and Seto. When everyone was inside, Brianna took Joey up to his room while Seto and Mokuba remained in the main corridor.

"How long do you plan on letting Joey stay here this time Seto?" Mokuba asked. Seto looked down at his younger brother to see the curious expression on his face.

"For as long as he needs to be here. He's not going back to that asshole he once lived with, I'll make sure of that. That man obviously isn't capable of taking proper care of his seventeen-year-old son so I don't blame Wheeler for hating him. I would too. That man reminds me a lot of Gozaburo, when we lived with him that is. It's not a pretty sight either." Seto shuddered as he thought of his stepfather. He never thought it possible to meet someone who acted exactly like Gozaburo Kaiba. Then again, since Seto had taken Joey into his home, anything was possible.

"Well I'm going to go check to see how Brianna's making out with Joey. I'll see you later Seto!" and with that, the young child was off in a flash. Seto remained in the corridor, reflecting on his own personal thoughts. If he had taken Joey in a second time, did that mean that he had feelings for the blonde? No. That was impossible. True, he may have saved Joey, but that didn't mean that he liked him. They were enemies and that's all there was to it. Enemies couldn't love one another; it just didn't seem right when you thought about it. Enemies are enemies not lovers. _Whoever thought up the idea of 'opposites attract' obviously wasn't in a situation of that caliber, _Seto thought to himself as he headed up the stairs to his room. He needed some rest; after all, it had been a long day, not to mention an interesting one at that. He decided that he would check up on Joey in the morning; he really wasn't in the mood to socialize with anyone at the moment, let alone his own worst enemy. Whenever he was in one of those moods, you were wise to stay away from him.

When he got to his room, he walked over to his king size bed and pulled down the blue silk sheets. After he had changed into more comfortable clothes, he climbed into his bed and pulled the covers over himself. As he slowly drifted off to sleep, all that was on his mind was if Joey would be okay. He knew that he didn't get hurt that badly but one could never be too weary. _Why am I thinking this way? Am I really worried about Wheeler? No, can't be. I don't like that mutt and I never will. He's only staying here to be away from his father, that's all. I don't like him and that's all there is to it. _As those few last thoughts flowed through Seto's mind, his heart felt differently. As much as he tried to ignore it, he couldn't. You can never ignore the feelings in your heart no matter how much you try. Not even the great Seto Kaiba can ignore his heart. Maybe he really did love Joey and just wasn't admitting to his feelings. Who knows? Only time could tell now…and the truth would soon be revealed.

* * *

_**Luna, Princess of the Shadows: **Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Don't worry; Seto will eventually start lightening up towards Joey. It will just take some time. This is Seto Kaiba after all and he isn't exactly known for showing his feelings right away. Anyway, as always, please review and tell me if you think this story is getting better or if it needs work. I'd love to know your opinions because it helps an authoress such as myself develop better writing skills. Well, I'll stop rambling on and let you review now. Luv ya all! Ja ne! _


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven: Confessions**

Late the next morning, Seto awoke to the sound of his irritating alarm clock, buzzing loudly in his ear. Half asleep, he reached over to his night side table, grabbed the clock and threw it half way across the room.

"Damn alarm clock," he cursed, slowly making his way out of bed. Once his feet were planted firmly on the ground, he saw his brother standing in the doorway.

"Morning Seto!" he chirped, grinning from ear to ear.

"What are you doing up so early?" the brunette inquired, looking up at the wall clock which read six o'clock. "You don't have to be at school until nine o'clock."

"But I couldn't sleep in, knowing that Joey was in the other room…"

"Wheeler will be fine," Seto informed simply. "Although I doubt he will be going to school today. Unless of course he wants to, that is."

"I highly doubt he will, Seto. He's already mentioned the fact that he doesn't want to tell his friends about his life. If he showed up at school with assorted cuts and bruises all over his body, I can almost guarantee that people will start bombarding him with a thousand questions. I don't think anyone would be too fond of that."

"Then I guess he will just have to stay here. Brianna can take care of him while we're gone." Out of all the servants in the mansion, not only was Brianna the only one who had developed such a close bond with the CEO, but she was also the only one Seto actually trusted with such matters.

"I think she's already got that covered. She's with Joey right now, tending to his aid as we speak," Mokuba informed.

Seto sighed. "By the way those two act, you'd think they were more than friends."

"They're **_best _**friends, Seto. That's what best friends do; they look out for one another."

"Whatever. I'm going to get ready for school. I suggest you do the same." When Seto looked at his younger sibling, he noticed that he was still in his pajamas.

"Okay…" With that, the raven-haired child sluggishly walked back to his room. Once he was gone and out of sight, Seto heaved himself out of bed and walked over to his private bathroom to have a shower. His school uniform, which he utterly despised, was already laid out along with both a large and small towel. He closed the door behind him and proceeded with his morning routine.

* * *

Meanwhile, Brianna was tending to Joey's wounds, just as Mokuba had mentioned earlier. She had been in that room ever since Joey arrived back at the mansion, afraid that something might happen to him when she had her back turned.

"There you go," she said, tightly wrapping some medical gauze around the blonde's wrist.

"Thanks Brie."

"It's not a problem. I just want to make sure that all your injuries are treated so that they will heal properly," Brianna replied with a small smile, collecting all of her medical equipment and throwing them into a small leather bag. She picked it up and headed towards the door. Before she was able to make it out of the room, she noticed Seto standing in front of her, dressed in his blue school uniform. "Good morning Seto. Did you sleep well?" she asked rather cheerily. The brunette only grunted as he brushed past her and stepped into the room.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to have a few words with our guest." Seto tried to refrain from using the blonde's name so as to eliminate any hint of suspicion that might arouse. He didn't want people thinking that he had feelings for Joey, which he clearly did not. If word spread that the great and almighty Seto Kaiba was falling for someone of such low-class, his life would never be the same. He couldn't take that risk; he couldn't and wouldn't.

"Very well." Brianna bowed slightly and took her leave. When the two teens were left alone in the room, Seto sat down on the end of the bed and turned to Joey.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Joey asked, breaking the silence.

Seto kept his gaze locked onto that of the blonde's. His eyes began to narrow as his face became stern. "What I'm about to tell you, you have to swear you won't breathe a word of it to anyone, not Yugi, not anyone. If you do, I can promise you that I will send you out into the street, no questions asked. Understand?" His tone was firm as Joey nodded silently. "Very well," Seto spoke simply as he let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't really want to tell you this, since we are rivals and all, but the sooner I do, the sooner my mind will be rid of the thought."

"What is it?" Ever since Seto had come into his room, Joey noticed that he was acting stranger than usual. He hadn't once insulted him and if it wasn't for his little **_threat_**, he could have sworn that he wasn't talking to Seto Kaiba at all. It was all too weird.

"Wheeler – I mean Joey. There's something I've been meaning to tell you but haven't felt I could…" It was then that his firm tone was replaced with a low one.

_Now this is getting weird, _Joey thought to himself as he scratched his head.

"I…" Seto hesitated for a minute, which was most unlike him. He was never one to stutter or pause in mid-sentence, which made Joey even more suspicious. "I…**_love_** **_you_**…" The CEO practically spit out the last couple words as Joey went wide-eyed in shock.

"What did you just say?" he managed to blurt out after remaining silent for a moment or two. He couldn't believe that those words had come from Seto's mouth. Seto Kaiba, **_the _**Seto Kaiba was admitting his feelings towards him. A Wheeler. A plain, run-of-the-mill, average person like himself. It just didn't make any sense and the more he thought about it, the more confused he became. If this didn't make him feel awkward, I don't know what would.

"You heard me. Don't make me repeat it. It was hard enough the first time," Seto replied harshly.

"You're kidding, right?" Joey asked, hoping that he was. As he spoke, a thousand images flooded through his mind, all of both Seto and himself…and they were together! The blonde tried to shake all of those thoughts out of his mind, not wanting to think about anything that passed through. He already felt weird, having a guy confess his feelings to him; he didn't need to feel any weirder. Besides, this was his rival, the one he competed against in everything: Duel Monsters, popularity, etc, etc. If there was one rule Joey always obeyed it was this: **_Never _**fall in love with your own worst enemy. Okay, so maybe that rule just came into play now, but it was still to be obeyed. Joey was looking for a girlfriend, not a boyfriend. In fact, to tell the truth, Joey wasn't looking for either. After his rather painful break-up with Mai, he hadn't wanted to feel love since. He felt love once, and only once, and it had let him down. He wasn't about to try it again.

Seto, on the other hand, was getting rather annoyed with Joey. He hated being bombarded with so many questions. It was hard enough to confess his love without having that person ask a million questions about why he said what he did. Okay, so maybe being the CEO of Japan's largest technological company had something to do with Joey's reaction. People such as himself aren't exactly known for doing what he had just done. He had a reputation to uphold and love was not part of the deal. But for some reason, as much as he tried to deny it, Seto just couldn't push the image of him and Joey out of his mind. It was like they were **_destined _**to be together. _That's a loud of bullshit, _Seto mentally swore. Destiny was for fools like Yugi and his nerdy friends. Seto was no fool. Still, he couldn't help feeling the way he did. Love is a powerful emotion and is hard to avoid. Even the great Seto Kaiba wasn't strong enough to avoid its clutches. He would have to give in eventually, as much as he despised doing so.

"Um…I asked you a question…" Joey, too, seemed to getting rather annoyed with the silent treatment that Seto was giving him.

Seto looked up at the blonde and stared into his chocolate brown eyes for what seemed like hours. He then broke the gaze and stood up from the bed. "I'm not going to get into any of that so just let it be." His voice had changed back to his regular hard voice as he sauntered over towards the door. "I'm going downstairs until it's time for my brother and I to leave for school. I take it you're not going?" he asked with a hint of concern.

"No," the blonde responded simply. Seto just grumbled under his breath and left the room without so much as another word. Joey slid down into the blankets that were covering at least half his body and decided to get some well-needed rest. He closed his eyes and in a minute he was out like a light. As he slept, the only thoughts running through his mind were the same ones that he had had earlier, when Seto was in the room. He still couldn't understand why such images were overflowing in his mind but he was unable to avoid them. Whatever they were trying to tell him, he didn't want to think about it. He just pushed everything to the back of his mind so that it wouldn't bother him any longer. Those images kept distracting him from things that he should of been focusing on instead, like how he was going to explain his current state and absence from school to his friends and teachers. That was going to be a task in itself and Joey had to think of a good excuse; one that wouldn't backfire and that people would actually believe. This was going to be harder than he thought. And with Seto now admitting to loving him, whether that was true or not, it made things even more complicated. His life always seemed to get worse by the minute and this time was no excuse…

* * *

_**Luna, Princess of the Shadows: **I bet this was the chapter that you've all been waiting for. Seto finally admits his feelings to Joey, even though our favourite blonde-haired puppy doesn't believe it. Oh well, he will in time. I hope you all liked this chapter and I hope that I kept everyone in good character. I thought Seto might have been a little bit OOC but I think I made up for it when I added a few 'Seto-like' comments in there. But tell me what you thought. I'd love to hear more of your opinions because they're always so nice to see. Anyway, I shall let you review so I can get started on chapter twelve. Luv ya'll! Ja ne!_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Keeping Secrets**

After Seto had left him alone, all Joey could think about was his archrival's confession. He still couldn't comprehend all that had occurred just a few moments earlier. Why did Seto Kaiba, of all people, confess to loving a Wheeler? It just didn't make any sense. Something of that caliber was beneath him and if it was true, something was definitely wrong with him.

Joey grabbed his head as he strained his mind to think. "Ugh…" he moaned. "I need to get some sleep… 'Dis headache is killing me…" As soon as he fell back onto the bed, he was out like a light in two seconds flat.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Seto and Mokuba had just sat down to eat when Seto's cell phone rang. He picked it up, slightly agitated that someone was calling him this early in the morning and answered with a gruff tone.

"Seto Kaiba speaking. Who is this?" he practically demanded.

"Kaiba? It's Yugi." By the look on the CEO's face, he wasn't too happy to hear from the King of Games, especially at 6:30 in the morning.

"What do you want Motou?" he literally spat out.

There was a moment's pause before Yugi's voice could be heard again. "I was just wondering if Joey would be at school today…since, well, he hasn't showed up there lately and I'm getting worried. I know he's safe at your house but still…"

"Oh, spare me the friendship speech, will ya? It's getting kind of old, don't you think?"

That was when Yugi's temper started to rise, which is something that doesn't happen very often. "Well in case you haven't noticed, Joey's my best friend and I'm concerned for his well-being. Is that so bad? I didn't think so. So if you'll just answer my question, I will leave you alone. I just want to know what's going on and if he's coming to school. That's it. So, will you tell me?" His harsh tone then slowly returned to his usual passionate voice.

Seto sighed before replying. "Joey won't be going to school today. It was his own choice. He said that he wasn't feeling well enough to go."

"Okay. Would it be all right if I came to visit him after school? I'm sure he wouldn't mind the company."

"Fine, as long as you aren't too long. I don't want you in my house all day and all night."

"Okay. Thanks Kaiba!" Yugi replied cheerily as he hung up. Seto did the same, only without as much enthusiasm. Mokuba looked up at his older brother with questioning eyes.

"What did Yugi want, Seto?"

"Nothing important. Now finish your breakfast and you can play Gamecube until it's time for you to catch the bus." It was then that the ten-year-old broke out into a gleeful smile.

"Yay! Thanks Seto!" he chirped as he gobbled down the remainder of his pancakes. Once finished, he raced into the living room, disappearing from sight. Seto only sweat dropped.

* * *

Later on that morning, at around 7:30, Seto decided to leave for school. Mokuba caught the bus to Domino Elementary at 8:00 so the eldest Kaiba asked Brianna to watch the ten-year-old and make sure he caught the bus. It was common for Mokuba to be so wrapped up in his game that he missed the bus. It happened numerous times on many occasions. Seto wasn't too pleased when it happened because that always meant that he had to leave school, go home, pick up Mokuba, drive him to school and then drive back to Domino High. It was rather hectic and he was hoping that he wouldn't have to do it ever again. Then again, since Brianna was watching the younger Kaiba, she could always take him to school if he missed the bus. She had just recently acquired her G2 and could now drive alone, without having to be accompanied by someone.

"I'm leaving Mokuba," Seto called into the living room but did not receive an answer in return. "Mokuba!"

"What?" Mokuba shouted back, not taking his eyes off the TV screen. He was playing **_Phantasy Star Online: Episode I & II Plus _**and it really drew your attention to it.

Seto sighed. "I said I'm leaving. I'll see you after school."

"Okay bye!" the raven-haired child replied rather quickly just as a monster hit and killed him. "Nooooooooooo!" He lowered his head and let out a loud sigh. Seto sighed once more before heading out the door.

* * *

In Joey's room, not much progress had been made. He was still slightly weak and wasn't able to work up the strength to get out of bed. It was most likely due to him being bed-ridden for the past couple of days. In fact, the only time he actually got out of bed was to go the bathroom or to have a shower; Brianna brought him all of his daily meals.

Sitting up slowly, the blonde-haired teen groaned and sleepily rubbed his eyes. He looked around the room, noticing that his breakfast had been laid out on a tray next to his bed. The meal consisted of: three slices of french toast drizzled with maple syrup, home fries, toast with peanut butter and a glass of orange juice. Joey licked his lips; he was really hungry seeing as how he had skipped a few meals the day before. However, he wouldn't have done that if he wasn't sleeping, but sleep managed to get the best of him and he wasn't able to resist it. As he took a few bites of his food, he still couldn't rid his mind of Seto's confession. He didn't know whether to accept it or ignore it. His feelings were mixed and that didn't make things easier for him. One minute he was thinking that he loved Seto and the next he hated him. It didn't make any sense. Was it really possible to hate someone and then turn around and love them? Joey wasn't sure that it was, but then again, if Seto Kaiba admitted to loving him, anything was possible.

"Hey Joey." The blonde looked around the room and soon spotted his female friend standing in the doorway.

"Oh, hey Brianna," he replied simply, taking a few more bites of his french toast.

"How are you doing? Is everything all right?" she asked politely, taking a few steps into the room.

"Yah, I'm doing fine. I'm not in as much pain as I was earlier…" Joey knew this was a lie but he didn't want to worry his friend. He didn't like lying to her but it was the only thing to say without raising any anxiety.

"Are you sure? Because you don't look fine…" Little did Joey know, Brianna was able to see through his cover up story and get right to the truth. "You look like you're still in a lot pain. Are you?"

"No…" It was then that Brianna gave him a stern look as if to say, 'I'm sure…' "Actually, I did have a headache earlier this morning, but it's gone now. All that's really left is a little bit of pain in my lower back and legs."

"I can help you with that. Well, once you get finished with your breakfast…" As soon as she said that, Joey had just finished the last few bites of his meal. Brianna giggled a little. "Well I can see that your appetite hasn't faded."

"Nope. I was hungry!"

"Well I should think you would be since you've been sleeping most of the time." Joey smiled as Brianna took the tray from in front of him. "I'll be back in a few minutes with some ice for you. It will bring down the swelling and make it so that you don't have a huge bruise later."

"Okay, thanks Brie." Brianna smiled before exiting the room. Joey sighed for like the tenth time that day and sank down into the comforters. He blinked a few times before falling back asleep.

* * *

At Domino High, it was lunchtime and Yugi and his friends were all gathered in the cafeteria.

"It's so quiet without Joey here," Tea piped up as she took a sip of her chocolate milk.

"Yah I know what you mean. It's not the same without him around…" Yugi added, not lifting his head up from his lunch.

"Are you okay Yugi? You seem a little withdrawn…" Tea threw one arm around her boyfriend's shoulders, trying to comfort him as best she could.

"Yah I'm fine. It's just that, well… I can't help thinking how Joey's doing. I guess it's because we're best friends and we've always been there for one another. I don't know. I just hope he's all right and will get better soon so he can come back to school and hang out with us…"

"I know what you mean, Yug," Tristan spoke up. "I keep wondering that myself…"

"Well I'm sure he's okay. After all, this is Joey we're talking about. I bet in the next couple of days he'll be back to his old self again!" Tea said cheerily, trying to change the overall mood of the group.

"Yah, I guess you're right Tea…" Yugi replied sulkily, returning to his lunch.

Tea sighed. _I wish there was something else I could say to cheer him up. I know Joey's his best friend and all but he should realize that things will eventually get better. Sooner or later, Joey will be back on his feet again and rejoin us for the fun we always used to have together… _It was then that her thoughts were interrupted by a gruff-sounding voice.

"What do you want Kaiba?" were the first words that Tea had heard. They had apparently come from Tristan.

"I came to talk to Yugi, Taylor. Unless of course that's problem…"

"What is it Kaiba?" Yugi piped up meekly.

Seto turned to look at the spiky-haired teen and in a soft whisper told him, "I'll give you a ride after school so you can come and visit Wheeler. However, I don't want your little friends joining you. It will just be you, understand?" Seto kept a firm hold on his voice as Yugi nodded without saying another word. It was then that the rich, multi-billionaire left the table where Yugi and his friends were sitting at and headed for the cafeteria doors. Yugi looked back to his friends who were all exchanging confused glances with one another.

Tristan was the first one to speak. "So, what did Kaiba say to you Yugi?"

Yugi hesitated for a moment before replying to his friend's question. "Umm…it wasn't really anything important. Don't worry about it guys…" At that exact moment, everyone, being Tea, Tristan, Duke and Ryou looked at each other with suspicious eyes. They all had the same feeling that Yugi knew something about Joey and just wasn't telling them. Why would he hide something from them? They were his friends and he always entrusted them with his secrets. This just didn't seem like the Yugi they knew anymore…

Just then, the bell rang, signaling that lunch was over.

"Well, I better get going guys. I don't want to be late for my next class," and with that, Yugi got up from the table, threw all his garbage in the trashcan and headed towards the cafeteria doors. All the others stood up in unison and headed out as well.

As Tea walked down the hall to her next class, occasionally bumping into a few people, all she could think about was the secret that Yugi was keeping from her and the rest of their friends. _Why won't he at least tell me? I'm his girlfriend and as such, he should be able to confide in me. Maybe he thinks I'm going to tell the others. But he should know I won't; I would never do something like that to him. If he wants it kept a secret, than I shall do just that. _Tea inwardly sighed as she turned into her classroom, which happened to be Chemistry. _I just hope he'll be able to tell me in the near future. I'm worried that he's keeping something important from all of us, something about Joey. All I want to know is if Joey is all right… Is that really too much to ask? He's such a close friend of mine and I don't want anything bad to happen to him…if only Yugi would realize that…_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen: I'll Never Leave Your Side**

Later that afternoon, when the bell rang to signal that the last class of the day had ended, all the students scurried down the halls and to their lockers. Yugi, on the other hand, was in the biggest hurry of them all. At lunchtime, Seto had told him that he could visit Joey again to see just how his best friend was holding up. He hadn't been able to see him in the past couple of days due to an overload of schoolwork and the fact that Seto was busy himself. So this chance to see Joey meant everything to the young King of Games. He stuffed all his books into his rather small-sized backpack, grabbed it off the hook, along with his coat, slipped them both on, shut and locked his locker door behind him and hurried down the hall towards the spiral staircase.

When he got outside, he saw Seto's limo parked at the side of the street. Seto was standing in front of it, leaning against the vehicle with his arms crossed looking rather impatient. Yugi knew full well that Seto wasn't the most patient person in the world so he decided not to delay any longer. He ran over to the brunette with a wide grin plastered across his face. This expression was typically seen on the spiky-haired teen's façade. Seto only looked down at the male and sighed.

"Get in," he stated simply, or much less demanded. He then opened the door and motioned for Yugi to get in first as he followed suit, closing the door behind him. Once their seatbelts were tightly fastened, Seto ordered the driver to head to Domino Elementary School so that they could pick up Mokuba. He normally got out at three but Seto had called the school and explained to them that he would be leaving early due to certain issues that he was not about to mention. He saw the whole Joey situation as too private and to not to be shared with the likes of anyone except the blonde's close friends, Mokuba and of course, himself.

When the limo arrived at the public school, Yugi was the first one to notice Mokuba standing at the front of the school, his backpack thrown over his shoulder and waving ecstatically in their direction. The young, raven-haired child then broke out into a run and in less than five seconds he was standing right in front of the window that Yugi was currently staring out of. Yugi rolled down the window so as to hear what the seemingly excited child had to say.

"Hey Yugi! Hey Seto!" he exclaimed happily. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," Yugi replied. "You coming with us to check up on Joey?"

"Of course! I want to make sure he's okay just as much as you do!"

"Okay, then hop in!" Yugi said as he rolled the window all the way up and opened the door. He slid over closer to Seto so Mokuba would have enough room to climb in. As Mokuba got it and closed the door behind him, Seto gave Yugi a rather awkward glare. Seto turned away and faced the other way as soon as he noticed that Yugi returned the glance. This was also something Yugi had known. Seto Kaiba absolutely despised it when people, especially his long-term rivals got exceptionally close to him, whether physically or whatever the case may be. As soon as Mokuba and Yugi had their seatbelts fastened, Seto ordered the driver to now take them to the Kaiba Estate. It would only be a matter of time before they were back to where Joey currently resided…

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Kaiba Mansion in Joey's room, Brianna had just walked in with a tray of steaming hot food. The already prepared meal consisted of homemade beef stew, two buttered rolls, a glass of orange juice and two homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert. She carefully placed the tray on the small foldout table next to Joey's bed and took a seat by the blonde's feet. She looked at him with a radiant smile as he tried to return the emotional gesture. His smile only turned out to be a half-smile, if even that. It was more like a smirk than anything. Then again, after everything he had been through, even though it was all in the past, it was still hard for him to laugh or even burst into a wide smile.

"So, how are you feeling today?" Brianna inquired, rubbing her hand up and down the blonde's leg in a comforting motion. By the look on the blonde's face, he was thoroughly enjoying it.

"Good. I'm still a little sore, but overall I'm feeling much better than I was before…well, physically at least…" Joey then lost himself in thought as his words began to trail off so that Brianna wouldn't be able to hear just what he was mumbling to himself.

Even though the young teenage girl couldn't understand the words coming from her best friend's mouth, she knew what he meant. Ever since the day that Joey's father had abused him, it was hard for him to cope with the fact that the one he **_thought _**he loved turned their back on him…most likely for good. Then again, according to the blonde, ever since Joey started living with his father, things were never the same as they used to be with his mother. He was happy living with his mom and Serenity…why did they have to force him to live with the asshole he called his father? She knew that it wasn't anyone's fault (Except, of course, his father's) but she always knew that he would probably be better off if he was never sent to live with his dad.

Suddenly, both teens heard the doorbell ring as Brianna slowly pulled herself up off of the bed.

"I'll be right back. That's probably Seto, Mokuba and Yugi. Seto told me yesterday that Yugi was coming to visit you today."

"Really?"

"Yep. So hang on and I'll be right back." With that said, Brianna walked out the door and down the hallway, eventually coming up to the spiral stairs. As soon as she descended to the main floor, she headed over towards the front door and opened it up to see just who she thought would be standing in front of her.

"Hey Yugi, Mokie, Seto," she said cheerily. She then realized that the only one with a smile upon his face was Mokuba, and that wasn't unnatural for the young child, for he was always bright and energetic. "What's wrong?" she questioned the two older teens.

Seto looked his friend straight in the eye and after a minute's pause, he replied. "It's nothing. We're just going to head upstairs to see how Joey's doing. How's he been holding up all day?"

"Good. He seems to doing quite fine and his appetite surely hasn't left him…" Brianna said these last few words with a small giggle. Seto smirked as Yugi forced a small grin onto his tiny façade. It was hard to even smile when his best friend was suffering not only physically, but emotionally as well. From what Seto had told him before and what he had seen the last time he visited Joey, most of the blonde's external wounds had healed over completely and he was now only suffering from the inside, the worst kind of pain any human being can experience.

"All right, let's go," Seto said as he led the way up the stairs and down the hallway to the room where the blonde currently resided in. Mokuba still had a wide smile across his face, trying to make light of the current situation.

When they all arrived at the end of the hallway, they turned into the bedroom where they saw Joey sitting up watching a program on the television that rested on the dresser located at the foot of the bed.

"Hey Joey," Yugi greeted somewhat happily.

"What? Oh, hey Yug. What's up?" Joey asked, sounding much better than the last time the pair had been together.

"Nothing much, just came to see how you were doing, that's all."

"Oh. Well there's no need to worry, I'm doing perfectly fine. Everyone in the mansion, including Kaiba, is doing such a great job of taking care of me," Joey explained. Yugi nodded his head in response as he waited and listened for what else the blonde had to say. "I'm glad you decided to come and visit me, though. It can sometimes get rather lonely all by myself. Of course, Mokuba and Brianna often keep me company but when everyone's off at school, work, or running errands, there's no one to talk to. That's why I'm always so happy when Kaiba tells me that you'll be coming to visit, 'cause I know that when you are here, you'll always stay and talk to me. That's why I consider you one of my best friends…because you're always there for me, no matter what the circumstances." Everything that Joey had just said nearly brought tears to the teen's bright, amethyst orbs.

"Joey I…I never knew…" Yugi choked out, a few tears trickling down the one side of his face. Seto only crossed him arms and grunted.

"Oh save the tears, will ya Motou? I allowed you to come here in order to visit Joey, not to start crying up a bloody storm. Now stop that, right now." Seto knew that his words sounded harsh, but deep down he couldn't bare to see anyone cry. He knew that if he did, his own tears would force themselves to fall from his icy, cold blue eyes. He couldn't afford to let that happen. He had a reputation to uphold and he wouldn't allow it to be ruined all because he couldn't control one single emotion. It just wasn't happening.

Yugi glared at Seto as he wiped the tears that were now beginning to sting his cheeks. Seto returned the emotional gesture and turned his back to everyone in the room, including Mokuba.

"If anyone needs me, I'll be in my office. I have some paperwork to catch up on and if I leave it any longer, it's going to pile up even more, leaving me with mass amounts of homework to do." With that said, the CEO walked out of the room with his head held high. He didn't even bother to say good-bye to anyone. Suddenly, as if he had just remembered something, he turned back and looked at Yugi. "By the way, when you're done visiting with Joey, I have already talked to Brianna and she said that she would be more than happy to drive you home." The brunette turned to his girl friend, nodded his head, as she did in return, and turned back around to head down the hall to his office. Everyone just looked at each other, wondering what his problem was.

"He's never acted that way before, ever since Joey got here… I wonder what could be wrong?" Brianna pondered aloud.

"Who knows? Maybe he's nervous about something. He did mention that he had a lot of paperwork to do so maybe that's what's stressing him out. I get that way too sometimes when I have a ton of homework to do," Joey responded, trying to make sense of the situation at hand.

"That could be true, Joey. Anyway, I guess I should get going. I have some homework to do myself and I better get it finished. Grandpa told me this morning that he had some chores for me to do and they'll probably take a good couple of hours…" Yugi sighed, wishing to himself that he could just stay a little while longer, but knew that that wasn't possible. He needed to get home as soon as possible if he were to finish his work and complete his chores before bed.

"Okay, I'll get ready to take you home," Brianna said as she walked out of the room and down the stairs to the front door where she slipped her shoes and jacket on.

Meanwhile, Yugi was still in the room with Joey.

"I'll see you later, okay? I'll call Seto later and ask him when the next time I can see you will be. I don't want to bother him right now because he seemed to be in a bad mood when he left the room just a few minutes ago…"

"I know what you mean, and yes, I'll see you later. Tell the gang I said hi and that everything's going good. I don't want to worry them…especially Ren. She'll flip if she finds out what happened," Joey pleaded.

"Don't worry, I won't tell a single soul. The only person that knows is me and I intend to keep it that way unless you tell me otherwise."

"Okay, thanks bud," and with those words, Mokuba and Yugi headed out the door and down the spiral staircase to where Brianna was, ready and waiting to go. Once the two teens got their coats and shoes on, all three of them headed outside and over to the light pink convertible sitting in the middle of the driveway beside Seto's limo.

"Wow… I never knew you had your own car, Brianna…" Yugi said, rather mesmerized with that fact.

"Yep. Seto bought it for me when I got my G2. I love it!" she smiled as she climbed into the driver's side and closed the door, urging both Yugi and Mokuba to get in. Once both the guys were in and their seatbelts were tightly fastened, Brianna slowly pulled out of the driveway and headed in the direction of the Kame Game Shop.

* * *

When they finally arrived at Yugi's house, the spiky-headed teen unbuckled his safety belt and got out of the car, lugging his backpack with him. He thanked Brianna for the ride before heading inside. Once the girl made sure that he was safely in the house, she pulled back out onto the road and headed back towards the Kaiba Estate.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen: Breaking The Barrier**

Earlier the next day, around six o'clock in the morning, Seto Kaiba sat in his office, still hanging over his computer while trying to complete a report for his company. It wasn't as easy it seemed. It needed to be at least five pages long, not double-spaced. The report was to consist mainly of important details about Kaiba Corp., how smoothly the company was being run and if there were any problems that needed to be addressed

In all honesty, he really didn't want to be wasting his day away doing a stupid report. He could be doing something more enjoyable…like spending quality time with his brother. After all, ever since Joey came, Seto hadn't got around to doing much of anything with Mokuba. In fact, he was almost always busy with work or visiting Joey. As much as Seto hated to admit it, Joey seemed to be growing on him…and he seemed to be developing feelings for the blonde-haired puppy. Yet every time those thoughts crossed his mind he would always try and push them away. He was the CEO of a multi-national corporation and he didn't have time to waste on such pitiful things. Love was not one of his biggest concerns and he didn't plan on making it one…no matter what the circumstances were…

* * *

Meanwhile, in the other room, Joey had been sleeping for going on two or three hours now and did not show any signs of wanting to wake up any time soon. Ever since Yugi left the day before, his insides started to twist and turn and he felt as though he was going to be sick. Yugi was one of his best friends and he never did want him to leave, even though he acted as though he was going to be fine. In reality, he wasn't going to be okay. With the feeling of being sick and Seto now ignoring him since yesterday, his whole world seemed to be turning upside down. Mokuba and Brianna were the only ones that stopped by every so often during the day and he was thankful for that. At least they still acknowledged his presence…unlike Seto… Why was he ignoring him? What was the big deal? What did it take to come and see him at least once at day? He would be happy with just that. But no, he had to go and ignore his guest… Geez, what a nice host…

* * *

Back with Seto, he had finally given up on writing his report. He managed to get four pages written up before he decided that he was going to take a break. Maybe he would visit Joey for a little while. Wait, what was he saying? Visit Joey? Why would he even **_want _**to do that? Was there something wrong with him? Were his gut feelings true? Was he actually **_falling in love _**with the blonde? No, that couldn't be it. Seto Kaiba never fell in love, especially with one of his greatest rivals. Although, he did have a girlfriend a while back but they broke up after a year. He didn't like the fact that she was getting too clingy and didn't want to go anywhere without him. He hated those kinds of relationships. He enjoyed spending time with her, but not every second of every day. He wanted his space and she never gave it to him. So, as a result, he had to end the relationship. She wasn't too pleased, but ended up taking it better than he thought. She moved on with her life and eventually ended up getting another boyfriend, one that enjoyed spending as much with her as she did with him. Seto scoffed at that but seemed rather **_happy_**, if you want to call it that, with her decision. At least she found someone with the same interest as her. He, on the other hand, was a completely different story. He had no interest whatsoever about getting another girlfriend/boyfriend. He didn't have the time nor did he need the stress. Enduring a relationship while running a company was not easy. Doing it once was enough for him; he wasn't about to try a second time. People were just going to have to accept the fact that he wasn't looking to commit himself to anyone at the moment. So many of the girls at school had their eyes on him, yet he always seemed to ignore them and continue on his way. He hated some of the looks they gave him, as if they believed in **_love at first sight_**. What idiot would believe in that nonsense? No one with any sanity, that's for sure.

He then got up from his desk and treaded slowly over towards the open doorway. He still didn't know why he was doing this but for some odd reason, he couldn't stop himself. So without contemplating any further, he stepped out into the hall and walked down to Joey's room at the far end. When he stepped through the doorway, he looked at the blonde who was sleeping rather peacefully with the blankets pulled up to his neck. Seto smiled, yet he did not know why. He couldn't explain it but whenever he saw Joey it made him blush and he often felt awkwardly comfortable.

Noticing that the blonde was constantly tossing and turning, he figured that he would awaken from his slumber at any minute. The brunette decided to wait until that time arose and took a seat at the end of the bed. It was then that Joey's eyes started to flutter open. For a moment, he didn't realize who was in his room until his vision came into clear focus.

"Kaiba?" he questioned aloud as he sat up slowly and carefully while rubbing his sleep-filled eyes. "What are you doing here?" If there was one person Joey never expected to see when he first woke up, it was Seto Kaiba.

"What do you mean, 'What are you doing here?' Is it illegal to check up on my own guest?" Seto replied with a sarcastic sneer. Joey simply narrowed his eyes and glared directly into his rival's deep, cerulean orbs. As he did so, he felt a strange emotion pulsate through his entire body. What was it? It was something he couldn't explain, that was for sure. But why was he feeling this way in the first place? Was it possible that he had feelings for Seto? No, that wasn't it. That couldn't be it. They were rivals and that was the way it was going to stay, no matter what his heart told him.

"No…" Joey spoke softly. "It's just a little shocking, seeing your own rival sitting at the edge of your bed when you first wake up…"

"Well **_sorry_**, next time I won't bother coming to check up on how you're feeling…" Kaiba stated sarcastically as he raised an eyebrow.

Joey inwardly sighed. "Whatever. I honestly don't care if you come in here or not, just please, next time, make sure I'm awake." The blonde smirked as Seto returned the emotional gesture. Although, the minute they both realized that they were staring into each other's eyes and actually **_smiling_**, they turned their heads away to hide the obvious fact that they were indeed blushing.

"Well, I better get going. I still have a report to finish and I don't know how long it's going to take…" Seto stated, changing the subject.

"Yah and I suppose I better get some more rest. After all, I'm still a little sore from, well, you know…"

"Yes, which is why you better take advantage of this time. You don't know when or even if your father is going to strike again so you'll just have to be ready. But rest assured, if he does set foot on my property, he'll be escorted directly to the police by my own hands."

Joey managed to smile once more. "Thanks…Seto…" The brunette looked at him strangely as if wondering what had caused the blonde to call him by his first name. No one ever called him Seto except for Mokuba, which, of course, made sense, seeing as how he was his little brother…but Joey? His arch-rival, the one with whom he constantly fought with, was actually calling him by his first name, like he was part of his small family or something. Then again, the CEO didn't blame Joey for wanting to be a part of his and Mokuba's life. After all, when he had lived with his father, what did have to look forward to at the end of the day? Nothing. Oh wow, a handful of beatings; that's always nice to come home to, especially when you don't deserve any of it. In a way, he kind of felt sorry for Joey because he had endured the same thing with his stepfather, Gozaburo Kaiba. Everyday he would receive numerous beatings for some things that he didn't even do. So, in a sense, both he and Joey were connected. They both had had horrible pasts and only wished to live the life of a normal teenager. Maybe his gut feelings weren't wrong after all; maybe he really did have secret feelings for Joey and he just didn't want to admit it. As much as he wanted to rid his mind of that thought, he couldn't. No matter how hard he tried, it just wouldn't leave. It was almost like his mind was forcing him to admit his feelings to the blonde. But he couldn't possibly do that. What would Joey think? For that matter, what would everyone else think if they found out that the world famous Seto Kaiba was dating Joey Wheeler? His life would be ruined and there would be no turning back… What was he to do?

"Well, I'll… I'll talk to you later…" he stuttered as he stood up from the bed and walked over to the doorway. He looked back, only to see Joey fast asleep again. He smirked. _He did always look cute when he's sleeping…_ With that, he headed back down the hall to his own room.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen: It All Starts With A Kiss**

Later that very same day, Seto had returned to working endlessly on his report when a mess of raven-coloured hair burst through the door.

"Hey Seto!"

"What is it Mokuba?" Seto questioned simply without raising even a single eye from the computer screen he was currently entranced in.

Mokuba sighed. "Can't you **_ever _**stop working? At least for a day…"

That was when Seto lifted his gaze to meet that of his brother's. "Sorry kiddo, I wish I could. But see, right now I have a very important report due tomorrow and I have to make sure that it is top notch. Maybe when I'm done we'll go to the park…"

The younger Kaiba's frown then turned into a small smile. "Can we bring Joey too?" he asked, turning the ever-so-lovable puppy dog eyes on his elder brother.

Seto heaved a long and exhausted sigh. "I suppose so…"

"Yay!" the raven-haired pre-teen exclaimed as he ran out of the room and disappeared around the corner. The CEO waited until he was out of sight before returning to his work.

* * *

Meanwhile in Joey's room…

"Hey Joey!"

The blonde groaned and rolled over onto his other side, still half asleep. When he opened his eyes, he noticed Mokuba standing in front of him with a huge grin plastered across his face. "Mokuba? What are you doing here?" he asked groggily, sitting up and gazing at the young teen.

"Seto's going to take us to the park as soon as he's done working!" he replied, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.

"What? Really? That doesn't sound like the Kaiba I know…" Joey pondered aloud.

"Who cares? I'm not complaining!" Mokuba smiled gleefully. Joey returned the smile and slowly started on getting himself out of bed. Mokuba helped as he grabbed Joey lightly by the arm and pulled him up off the bed.

"Thanks Mokie. Now I better get dressed if we're going to be going out soon…"

"Okay! I'll meet you downstairs for lunch!" With that, he disappeared from the room almost as quickly as he had entered it.

As soon as Joey realized that he was alone once again, he casually strode over to the dresser at the end of his bed and pulled out a pair of baggy, black jeans and a black muscle shirt and slipped them on. He then looked up into the mirror and ran both his hands through his messy blonde locks. He really didn't care how he looked; he just figured that his hair wasn't going to change the rest of his appearance. It was then that he decided to start heading downstairs for lunch. He was starving, seeing as how he never had anything for breakfast earlier that morning. Eating was definitely not an option right now. He needed to eat in order to keep his stamina up or he would surely faint at any given time. His energy had not yet restored to its maximum potential so he had to make sure to do everything to keep his body healthy and stable.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Mokuba was busy helping the chef prepare a hardy meal for both Joey and himself.

"Hey Mokuba, what's cooking?"

The young, raven-haired teen looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Hey Joey. Finally made it downstairs, eh?" Both males giggled at this comment as Joey took a seat at the table. While he waited on his meal, he was surprised to see just who had come waltzing into the kitchen. It was none other than Seto Kaiba. But that couldn't be possible, could it? Joey was almost positive that Seto was supposed to working on his report. When would he get the time to come downstairs and eat like a normal person? Okay, so maybe Joey was exaggerating a **_little bit _**about the whole **_normal person _**thing, but you couldn't blame him. Seto never really acted **_normal _**when he was around others. He was a workaholic and no one, not even his own brother could deny it.

When Seto took a seat opposite Joey, the blonde kept direct eye contact with the CEO until the food was served. Even as he ate, he would occasionally look up from his plate and stare into the brunette's cold and lifeless cerulean blue orbs. Seto noticed this and decided to break the silence.

"What are you staring at, Wheeler?" he sneered.

Joey was silent for a brief minute before answering. "N-nothing. Nothing at all," he replied casually. Seto only scoffed and returned to his plate of egg salad sandwiches served with veggies and dip on the side. Joey couldn't see what his problem was, but guessed it probably had something to do with working so much. Everyone usually gets a little bit cranky and irritable if they work too hard or too long. This was probably just one of those times and he wasn't in the mood to do anymore complaining.

Approximately fifteen minutes later, Seto and Joey both got up from the table and carried their dishes over to where they cook was standing. Joey thanked him for such a delicious meal while Seto simply set his plate down on the counter and walked out of the room. Joey attempted a fake cough in order to try and get the CEO's attention but failed; either Seto didn't hear him or he was just simply ignoring the blonde. Joey thought that it was more along the lines of option B. Oh well, it's not like he **_really _**wanted his attention or anything…or did he? No, that was out of the question. Of course he wouldn't want Seto's attention pinned on him. Was he crazy? If anything, he wanted the CEO to ignore him. Well, if that really was the truth, then he got his wish because not even ten minutes ago was the first time that Seto had spoken to Joey since the other day. That was definitely a miracle in itself…

* * *

"Seto!" Mokuba exclaimed as he burst into his brother's room for the second time that day.

Seto looked up from his computer screen and sighed. "What is it now, Mokuba?"

"You said you'd take Joey and me to the park today! You said! You said!" he pleaded as his eyes began to fill with tears.

"I said I'd take you **_if _**I managed to finish my report…"

"And you're done, right?"

Seto heaved a rather heavy sigh. "Yes…"

"YAY!" he shouted so loud that his voice rang throughout the whole upper floor. Seto simply placed his head in his hands and sighed once more. He was really hoping to avoid a trip to the park but figured that since it made his brother happy, he might as well go along with it. He wasn't completely finished his report but decided that he could just wrap it up when they got back. How long could it possibly take to complete half a page? He didn't know it, but he was going to find out the answer to his question the hard way…

"Are you coming? Are you coming?"

"Yes Mokuba, I'm coming. Why don't you go downstairs and get ready? You can tell Joey to get ready as well. I want to get out of here as quickly as possible so that we can get back at a decent time," the brunette stated matter-of-factly.

"Why? What's your hurry?" Mokuba inquired curiously.

"Nothing, I just don't want to be long," the elder brother informed solemnly.

"Okay, well I'll meet you downstairs!" With that, the mess of raven black hair disappeared from the room faster then you could say Duel Monsters. Seto, on the other hand, took his time getting ready. First he went to shut his computer down, next he walked over to his closet to find one of his trench coats to wear, which he almost immediately decided on his silver one that he had worn during the Battle City tournament. Once he had slipped it on, he then walked over to his bedroom door that was still wide open from when Mokuba had come rushing in and placed a key in the lock. He turned it once to the right and as soon as he heard it click, stepped out of the room and pulled the door shut behind him. Being absolutely sure that he had locked his room up tight, he headed down the stairs and to the front door where he saw Joey and Mokuba waiting for him.

"About time," Mokuba stated impatiently, yet he couldn't manage to hide the small smile that was trying to peek through his serious facial expression.

Seto smirked. "Well I could have not come at all. Would that have been better?"

"No!" Seto couldn't help but laugh at his little brother's reaction. He chuckled to himself and then stopped almost immediately when he realized that Joey was watching him.

"Ahem, anyway, I suggest we get going."

"Just what I was thinking, big bro!" Mokuba exclaimed happily, following his brother out the door with Joey trailing close behind. When they got outside, they noticed a bright red Camaro sitting just outside the garage doors, not a speck of dirt anywhere on it.

"Sweet car dude," Joey commented, trying not to drool.

"Thank you…" Seto replied as he eyed his rival suspiciously.

"Well? What are we waiting for? Let's all hop in so we can get this party started!" Mokuba shouted joyously. Joey smiled as he got into the backseat of the car. Mokuba, of course, sat in the front seat with his brother. The rather tiny pre-teen decided to turn on the radio and find some good tunes to listen to on the way to the park. He finally stopped channel surfing when he came across the song **_Breaking the Habit _**by **_Linkin Park_**. Both Joey and himself started bobbing their heads to the music as Seto simply focused all of his concentration on driving. He had often said that music distracted him, but had always let Mokuba listen to whatever was on the radio at the time. It kept him busy and stopped him from the asking the annoying question of, 'Are we there yet?' over and over again. For once in his life, Seto was glad for music.

* * *

When they eventually made it to Domino Park, Mokuba literally leapt from his seat and raced over to the swing set. Joey did the same, except instead of running over to the playground to play with the younger Kaiba, he walked over to a nearby bench and sat down. Seto followed him, intrigued as to why he was not playing with Mokuba.

"What's your problem?" Seto asked, although it sounded more like a demand.

"Why would you care?"

"Because you're not acting like your normal self. The Joey I know would be eager to go and play with my brother. But instead you decide that you want to waste this day away by sitting in the park on a boring bench. Something's definitely up and I want to know what." This certainly didn't sound like Seto and Joey even thought of a crazy idea that aliens might have warped his mind. Heh, same old Joey… But seriously, why was someone like Seto Kaiba so concerned with what he was and could be doing? It just didn't make sense…

"I just don't feel like doing much today, that's all…" Joey lied.

"That's a lie. You felt fine when we left the mansion so why the sudden change?" The brunette raised an eyebrow in curiousity.

"I told you! I just don't feel like doing much of anything today!" Joey practically shouted. Seto, however, did not back down. In fact, he took a seat next to the blonde. Joey didn't realize until a few seconds later that the brunette was positioned awfully close to him. He slid a little way down towards the end so as to regain his private space.

"I know that's not it because I was once in the same position. Well, maybe not the same position but you get my point. Every time Gozaburo took Mokuba and myself to the park, I never felt like doing much of anything. You want to know why? It was because Gozaburo ruined my childhood. He took away all of my toys…my life. I had nothing. That is why whenever he expected me to play with my brother, I wouldn't because I had forgotten what it was like to be free and to play at my own will. He took all that away from me and I'll never forgive him for that…"

Joey turned to Seto who looked as though he was about ready to cry, but fought back the tears. "I know how you feel. My father treated me the same way…"

"I figured as much. That is why I don't want you to ever return to that house again. I don't want you to get hurt because…because…" He couldn't continue. The sadness overcame him and tears had now begun trickling down his cheeks. Joey didn't know what to do now. He had never been in a situation like this, especially with one such as Seto Kaiba. Seto never cried, so why now? Was it because he couldn't handle the horrors of his past anymore? If that was true, then Joey didn't blame him. He would have broken down too. Just then, the unthinkable happened. The blonde moved closer to his rival so that both their hips were touching. Seto looked up, tears still held deep within his eyes. Both teens refused to break their gaze with one another and soon enough, something extraordinary occurred. Both males leaned closer as their lips locked, invoking the most passionate kiss either one of them had ever experienced. They didn't know why, nor how this had happened, but one thing was for sure…they were glad it did…

* * *

_**Mysterious Mistress Kura: **-wipes tear- I can't believe how sweet this ended. I loved writing this chapter because it held so much emotion. I hope all you readers enjoyed it just as much as me. Please review and tell me what you thought. I don't know how much longer this story will last but I'm thinking of making it maybe one or two more chapters. It may be more, depending on what kind of ideas I can come up with. Well, I guess I shall end this little note here and let you all review! Ja ne everyone!_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Mysterious Mistress Kura: **Hey ya'll! I'm back with yet another chapter and some good news! I finally got a laptop! Tee hee. I'm so happy. Now I can finally work on my stories up in my room without being kicked off the computer. I love it. Anyway, I'll stop babbling and let you get on with reading the next chapter of **A Dragon's Puppy**! Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: Change Of Heart?**

As both teens deepened their ever so passionate kiss even further, Mokuba came running up and was both shocked and surprised to see the sight before him.

"Seto? Joey?" he spoke up, faking a little cough so as to try and gain their attention. Well, it certainly worked. When both dragon and puppy pulled back from each other's embrace, they noticed the young, raven-haired pre-teen standing before them, confusion written all over his face.

"Uh, Mokuba…shouldn't you be off playing?" Seto asked rather quickly; in fact, it was almost so fast that his brother just barely managed to make out what he was saying. The brunette was hoping to pull Mokuba away from the subject of Joey and himself. Even though they were family and could always rely on one another, he just couldn't bring himself to say that he **_loved _**Joey. He was one of his long-time rivals, other than Yugi and he would never live it down if people found out that the two were **_in love _**with each other. Sure, it probably wouldn't affect Joey's life much, seeing as how his father was practically no longer a part of his life and his mother and sister, Serenity were currently living elsewhere. But he was the infamous CEO of Kaiba Corp. and did not want his reputation hitting rock bottom. That was something he was not ready to risk.

Mokuba remained silent for a good minute or two before he replied to his brother's question. "I…uh…just came over to see what you two were doing…" he stated honestly. "…but I didn't know that you two were…" Seto then cut him off in mid-sentence.

"It's okay, Mokie. We're just fine. We were just talking, that's all…" he lied. It was an obvious attempt at a lie but it was the best excuse Seto could think of on the spot.

"Are you sure big brother? You seem awfully nervous…and pale…" Mokuba raised an eyebrow while staring his older sibling directly in the eye. This made Seto feel even more nervous than before. He knew it was only his brother but it still made him feel awkward.

"Yes, I'm feeling just fine. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to have a talk with Joey…"

"Okay Seto. But if something's wrong, you know you can tell me. We **_are _**siblings after all," Mokuba added reassuringly as Seto merely nodded. Once he had vanished out of sight, the brunette turned to the blonde-haired puppy, his eyes and face looking completely solemn.

"Joey listen…" he began before he was interrupted.

"Don't say a word. I know what you're going to say. You told me before, but at the time I never thought anything of it. I never thought that someone like you would actually **_love_** a guy like me…**_especially you_**… I always figured that we were enemies and nothing more. How can love come between two rivals? It just doesn't make sense. I've heard of the saying **_"opposites attract" _**but this is just insane. Seto I…I don't know how to put this but…but I don't know if I feel the same way about you…"

That statement immediately caused Seto's head to droop. He didn't know why, it just did. Why was he so upset about this? This was his**_ rival_**…and on top of that he was a guy! That was the worst part. It was hard enough walking down the street as the president of Kaiba Corp. and having people talk behind your back about how they think your stuck-up, heartless and uncaring towards everyone except one, which in this case would be Mokuba. What would people think of him if he walked down the street holding hands with Joey Wheeler? That he had obviously lost it, that was for sure. He couldn't handle the thought of that, but at the same time he didn't care, as long as he ended up with the one he loved in the end.

"Seto?" Joey repeated, nudging his arm gently.

"Huh?" He looked over at the person that had broke him away from his thoughts and glared at him. "What do you want?" he spat, his cold and heartless-sounding voice returning, breath by breath.

Joey was confused. What was wrong with him? First he acts all **_"lovey-dovey"_** and now he turns the other cheek. Something was definitely up and the blonde planned on getting to the bottom of it if it was the last thing he did. "Don't you remember? I just told you that I'm not sure about my feelings towards you. I don't know if I feel the same way that you do…"

Seto then started to grit his teeth. "Whatever. I don't care anymore. I'm heading back to the mansion where I can be alone again. You're really starting to annoy me…"

"But Seto I…" But before Joey could finish his sentence, Seto got up from the bench, called Mokuba over and headed back towards the limo. "Hurry up or I'll leave you behind," he said from over his shoulder. Joey didn't think twice. He did as he was told and followed the two Kaiba brothers out of the park.

* * *

Upon arrival at the Kaiba Estate, Seto ushered his brother and Joey out of the limo as he himself stepped out. He clearly stated that for the rest of the day he was not to be disturbed and that he just wanted to be alone. Joey and Mokuba decided that it was best not to argue and just left him be. As much as the blonde wanted to know the problem, he held himself back from saying even a single word. If he did say something, it would probably end up getting him in trouble…and he was not prepared for the wrath of Seto Kaiba, especially on a day like today…

* * *

_**Mysterious Mistress Kura:** Sorry for the short chapter guys but I needed to make an opening for the next one. Don't worry, it'll be worth it, I can promise you all that! Well, please review and tell me what you thought! OOC? I tried to keep everyone in good character. I had Seto act emotional but then made up for it when his arrogant and cocky attitude returned. That's definitely the Seto we all know and love! Or not! (In case you're not an obsessed fan girl like some!) Anyway, I shall be off now. Ja ne!_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Mysterious Mistress Kura: **I'd just like to take this time to thank everyone that has reviewed my story so far. I love you guys so much! You inspire me more than you know! Thanks again! Anyway, onto chapter seventeen of **A Dragon's Puppy**! Enjoy!_

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* * *

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Chapter Seventeen: Concerned For A Friend

Later that evening, Joey came downstairs for supper and noticed Seto sitting at the table, his nose practically glued to his computer screen. He sighed and took a seat opposite the CEO. He didn't bother speaking, knowing only full well that anything he said would get turned against him. He thought it would be best to just let bygones be bygones.

"Hey guys!" Mokuba exclaimed, sitting down in between his brother and Joey. The blonde couldn't understand how the young pre-teen could be so cheerful at a time like this. He guessed that it was probably just in his nature to be so lively.

"Hey Mokuba. What's up?" Joey asked, not once turning his gaze to that of the brunette's. In fact, Seto's eyes never once left that of his laptop screen.

"Nothing much, just hanging out, you?"

"Eh, same old, same old. Although I am wishing that Seto would stop with his damn silent treatment. It's buggin' the hell outta me," the brown-eyed puppy admitted truthfully. Mokuba looked at him and then at his brother. When he turned back to Joey, he simply nodded and then spoke.

"I know what you mean. Ever since we came back from the park, he won't even talk to me. I don't understand what his problem could be. Is it the fact that I caught you two…well…you know…" Joey nodded, a wide blush spreading across his face as he motioned for the raven-haired child to continue. "Why can't he just let it be? I mean, he finally shows his soft side and then two seconds later, it's gone. Sure, he may not like the fact that he's falling in love with you, but he needs to own up to his feelings and accept them…" It was then that Seto stood up from the table and glared at both his brother and Joey.

"Listen, I am **_not _**falling in love with Joey! Just because you caught us in the middle of a kiss, doesn't mean that I like him! We're rivals and I plan on staying that way. So if you'll excuse me, I'm heading back upstairs now."

"But Seto, you haven't even had supper yet…"

"I'm not hungry," Seto replied simply, keeping a straight face. Mokuba lowered his head and mumbled a "Fine," under his breath. The CEO didn't take much notice of this and walked out of the room, carrying his laptop with him. Joey looked over to the youngest Kaiba sibling and began rubbing his back as a way of trying to comfort him. Mokuba half-smiled, glad that at least one person cared about how he felt.

"Thanks Joey."

"No problem. I just don't want to see you upset, that's all," was Joey's kind-hearted response. Ever since he had met Yugi, Joey hated to see his friends upset, or anyone for that matter. It would literally break his heart in two every time he saw someone upset or depressed.

"Well I appreciate your sensitivity. I don't know what I would do if you weren't here…"

"Be bored as all hell?"

"Probably. Seto is **_always _**working and he never has any time to spend with me. It gets pretty lonely here sometimes. Oh well, at least he lets me have friends over, that way I'm not as bored."

"That is a good thing. I bet it would be even more boring if you couldn't…"

"Definitely," Mokuba admitted without any hesitation.

"So, what do you want to do after supper? Seto's probably going to busy the rest of the night and most likely won't want to spend time with us anyway, what with everything that happened today at the park and all…"

"I know. I just wish he would tell me what's going on in his mind. All I want to know is why he's acting the way he is and the reason for his behaviour towards us…"

"I'm with ya on that one," Joey added.

"How about we watch a movie after supper? We have Underworld and Seto just recently burned Underworld Evolution for me. Do you like those kinds of movies?" Mokuba asked, hoping for a "yes".

"You know it!" the blonde exclaimed joyously. "I loved Underworld! We have **_so _**got to watch Evolution!"

Mokuba giggled. "Don't worry, we will."

"YES!" Joey yelled out loud, throwing his arms up into the air. Although, what he didn't realize was that the chef was standing right behind him, holding a platter full of food. He was lucky that his arms had just missed a full force collision with the man's face. If that would of happened, their dinner would have been no more.

"Careful Joey," Mokuba warned cautiously, motioning for Joey to look behind him. The blonde did so and immediately noticed the terrified look on the chef's face. He then turned back to Mokuba.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked, oblivious to the fact that **_he _**had caused the whole ordeal.

Mokuba heaved a heavy sigh and shook his head. "Never mind…"

Joey looked confused. "Are you sure? He looks kind of…scared…"

"That's because **_you _**almost caused all the food to go flying up into the air. You're lucky it didn't though, otherwise our dinner would have ended up flat on his head, which wouldn't have been a good thing…" the child stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh…now I get it…" For a split second, Mokuba's spirits rose. "But if that happened, wouldn't he just move out of the way?" The mess of raven hair nearly fell over due to Joey's lack of intelligence…or to put it simply, idiocy.

"Why do I even bother?" Mokuba thought aloud, trying to hide the obvious fact that he was indeed giggling.

"What's so funny?" This statement only made the young Kaiba laugh even harder. "C'mon Mokuba, tell me! What's so funny?"

"Nothing…" he managed to reply through numerous fits of laughter.

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Nothing?"

"Well…" It was then that the incessant ringing of the phone interrupted him. "Whew, saved by the bell…" he sighed thankfully and got up from the table to answer the phone, which was currently located in the living room. When he eventually got a hold of it, he pressed 'Talk' and then spoke into the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Hey, this is Yugi," the voice on the other end replied.

"Oh, hey Yugi. It's Mokuba. What's up?"

"Nothing much. I just called to see how Joey's making out."

"He's doing really well. It seems as though his injuries aren't bothering him that much any more," Mokuba responded truthfully.

"Well that's definitely good news. Do you think he would feel up to going to the mall with a few friends?" the spiky-haired teen inquired.

"I don't know. Hang on a second and I'll ask him."

"Okay." Mokuba then put Yugi on hold while he went to go talk to Joey.

"Hey Joey!" he exclaimed while literally sliding into the kitchen.

"Yah?"

"Yugi is on the phone. He wants to know if you'd be interested in going to the mall with him and a few of your friends."

Joey pondered with that question before eventually coming to a decision. "Can I talk to him?" he asked politely.

"Sure, just come with me." With that, Joey followed Mokuba into the living room where the young pre-teen handed the cordless phone over to his blonde-haired friend.

"Yug?"

"Oh, Joey. What's up?" Yugi did not expect to hear Joey's voice on the other end but was exceptionally glad when he did. It confirmed the fact that Joey was all right.

"Nothing much, just hanging out with Mokuba…"

"Did he tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Joey had almost forgotten the question that Yugi had asked him when realization suddenly dawned on him. "Oh yah! Sorry Yug, I almost forgot."

"That's okay, Joey. So, can you come?"

"Well…I don't know. I was kind of planning on staying here today. Mokuba asked me if I wanted to watch Underworld and Underworld Evolution. I mean, come on! Those are like the best movies **_ever_**!"

"But isn't Underworld Evolution still in theatres?" Yugi inquired.

"Yah, but Mokuba convinced Seto to download it for him and since he can't say no to his younger brother, he did it!" Joey exclaimed rather happily. This was probably the happiest he had been in ages.

"I see. So I guess we'll just reschedule the mall for another day then?"

"Yah. Maybe we can go during a week when we have no school. March Break will be coming up soon so we can go then," the blonde suggested.

"Sure thing. Well I guess I'll see you around…" Yugi's voice now held a rather disappointed ring to it. Joey wasn't paying much attention so he didn't really notice a difference.

"Yep. See ya bud!" Both teens than hung up at the same time, each in completely opposite moods.

With Yugi…

"What's wrong aibou?" Yami asked, appearing beside his hikari in transparent form.

"Nothing," Yugi lied.

"Yugi…" Yami was determined to get an answer out of him. He could no longer bare to look at Yugi and almost always get the same facial expression…depressed and lonely…

"It's just…I'm worried about Joey, that's all. I know that he's all right, but he hardly ever spends time with us anymore. He's almost always around Mokuba or Kaiba. Yet the most surprising part is…Joey called Kaiba by his first name. He never does that. The only person that ever calls him Seto is Mokuba and that's only because he's his little brother. Is there something going on that I don't know about? Is Joey actually becoming closer to Kaiba?"

"I wouldn't think so, aibou. Joey and Kaiba are long-term rivals and I doubt that they'd even think of getting close to each other. They're completely different people and nothing will change that."

"You really think that that's how it's going to be?"

"Yes I do. I may not have as much knowledge about this world as you do, but I know rivals when I see them and Joey and Kaiba are definitely classed in that category," Yami stated.

"Well I guess I'll take your word on that," and for the first time in a while, Yugi actually smiled. He knew that Joey was doing well and that's what really mattered. The only thing troubling him was that if staying with Seto was starting to affect him in more ways than one…


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen: A Relaxing Moment**

After both Mokuba and Joey had finished their dinner, they headed into the living room with a big bowl of popcorn and two cans of cream soda. Even though they had just eaten less than five minutes ago, they had both agreed that you couldn't watch a movie without snacks.

"So, which one do you want to watch first?" Mokuba asked, holding up the two DVDs in both of his hands.

"Underworld Evolution!" was Joey's enthusiastic reply.

Mokuba giggled a little at the blonde's quick response. "Okay, Evolution it is." As he put the DVD into the player, he heard footsteps coming from upstairs and were slowly making their way down. When he looked over to the stairway, he was somewhat shocked to see his elder brother standing there, watching his and Joey's every move.

"Hey big brother," he greeted cheerily. "Want to watch a movie with us?" he inquired, hoping for a **_yes_**.

Seto shook his head. "I can't Mokuba. I still have a lot of work to do and I need all the time I can get." The young, raven-haired child then hung his head, depressed. Seto noticed this and heaved a long sigh. "Fine…" It was then that Mokuba perked right up.

"Really Seto? You mean it?" The brunette nodded. "Yay!" the younger Kaiba chirped happily. "Thanks bro!" Seto didn't bother saying another word as he took a spot on the couch, surprisingly next to Joey. The blonde, however, was curious as to why he was sitting beside him. Didn't he want to draw attention **_away _**from this ordeal? As much as Joey yearned for answers to his many questions, he just decided to shrug it off and watch the movie in peace.

As soon as the previews began playing, Mokuba hopped onto the couch, a mere few feet away from Seto and Joey. He smirked to himself; he knew that sooner or later Seto would have to confess his true feelings to Joey and he wanted to be there when it happened.

"Aw, can't we just skip through the previews? They're so boring!" Seto turned to the blonde and smiled.

_He really is rather cute… Wait…what am I saying? He's not cute! We're rivals, just rivals. There's nothing going on between us and that's that! But…why can't I rid my mind of all these feelings? Is it… _Mokuba then interrupted his thoughts.

"The movie's starting!"

"Finally," Joey sighed with utter relief. Mokuba then glanced over at his brother and grimaced.

_You can't hide your feelings forever, Seto. Sooner or later you'll have to admit to the truth and when that time comes…you'll have me to thank for it…_

Half an hour later…

As the movie slowly progressed, things were beginning to stir with the threesome…or should I say couple…

Joey could not take his eyes off of the TV screen for a second; he didn't want to miss a single part in the movie, for this was probably the single best video he had seen in ages. Seto, on the other hand, was growing rather bored by it. He knew that he could be doing better things with his time, but knew that this made his brother happy so he couldn't turn it down. However, secretly what he really wanted was to be alone with Joey and to just hold him in his arms. Of course, he wouldn't admit this to anyone…especially Mokuba. He knew that his brother would not tell a single living soul, but he still did not want to spill his secret. He wanted it to be for his and Joey's ears only; that is, if the blonde would ever love him in return… He still wasn't over the incident that happened at the park…

_Flashback _

_Just then, the unthinkable happened. The blonde moved closer to his rival so that both their hips were touching. Seto looked up, tears still held deep within his eyes. Both teens refused to break their gaze with one another and soon enough, something extraordinary occurred. Both males leaned closer as their lips locked, invoking the most passionate kiss either one of them had ever experienced. They didn't know why, nor how this had happened, but one thing was for sure…they were glad it did…_

_End Flashback_

"Hey Kaiba!" Seto was broken away from his thoughts when he noticed Joey's hand waving itself in front of his face. The brunette simply grabbed a hold of it and set it back in the blonde's lap without shifting his gaze away from the TV. Joey was confused; first Seto had agreed to watch the movie with both Mokuba and himself and now it was like he was zoning out of reality every five minutes. What was the reason for this? Was it because of what had happened at the park? Was Seto still upset over the fact that Mokuba had caught them both…well, you know… All these questions and more were running rampant through Joey's mind and no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't comprehend any answers. He finally came up with the conclusion that he would think about it later. Right now, what was most important was Underworld Evolution, at least to Joey and Mokuba it was.

* * *

Approximately one hour into the movie, Mokuba was sprawled out on the couch, leaving Joey and Seto squished against one another. Perhaps the raven-haired child had done this purpose, hoping that the two stubborn teenagers would realize their feelings for each other. Unfortunately for the younger Kaiba, his brother and friend weren't getting along as well as he had hoped.

"Wheeler, if you don't mind, please move your elbow out of my face," Seto demanded of the blonde. Joey simply scoffed and did as he was told.

"It's not my fault that your brother is taking up most of the room…" Joey muttered under his breath.

"Well if you have a problem with it, you can sit on the floor." Seto grimaced at this comment, pleased with the fact that he had managed to insult the blonde once again. However, Joey didn't take his rival's insult too kindly.

"What, so you can gloat about how you can get me to do anything you want?" he shot back with proud satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.

"Perhaps so."

"Well you can forget about it moneybags 'cause I'm staying right here." The blonde folded his arms across his chest, straightened himself up and returned to viewing the movie. Seto copied his exact gesture and heaved an outward sigh; he was not looking forward to spending anymore time this close to one of his biggest rivals. It was torture, pure torture…

Mokuba, on the other hand, was watching everything out of the corner of his eye. He knew it would take awhile for the duo to warm up to each other but he just wished there was something he could do to speed up the process a little bit. He knew he shouldn't meddle in other people's love lives but this was an exception. He wanted to bring happiness into his brother's life once more and he could tell that the CEO was completely content around the blonde, even though he rarely showed it. As he continued pondering ways to get the two together, a loud scene in the movie broke him from his trance-like state. He shook his head and looked up to the TV, wondering just what he had missed while he was entranced in his thoughts. Suddenly…

"Mokuba?" By the sound of the voice, it was evident that the person was indeed female. When Mokuba turned his head around, his eyes brightened significantly.

"Brianna! What are you doing here? I thought Seto gave you the day off?" At the mention of his name, Seto Kaiba turned to face his good friend.

"Brianna? Is there something wrong?" the brunette asked, using an unusually sympathetic tone of voice. The girl shook her head and locked her gaze with that of the CEO's.

"No, nothing is wrong. I just stopped by to see how Joey is holding up. He was still in bed the last time I was here and I was just wondering if his health had improved since then," she explained, using the simplest of terms.

"See for yourself," Seto replied as he pointed to the male beside him.

"Joey?" It seemed as though the blonde hadn't heard her. "Joey?" she spoke even louder. The teen still didn't hear a word until Seto nudged his arm in order to get his attention.

"Ow, what was that for?" Joey inquired, rubbing his left arm in an upward and downward motion. It was then that he heard the sound of someone coughing behind him and when he looked over his shoulder, he noticed just who it was. "Oh, hey Brianna. What's up?"

"Nothing much. I just came to see how you were feeling," she stated with a bright smile plastering her features.

"I'm feeling just fine!" Joey responded as he began flexing his muscles. Brianna simply giggled at this gesture and then turned back to Seto.

"Well I guess I better get going. I told Gabriel that I'd meet him at the movie theatre in a half an hour and I don't want to be late."

"Gabriel?" Mokuba questioned, tilting his head to one side.

Brianna's smile widened. "He's my boyfriend. He just asked me out yesterday and I couldn't say no, seeing as how I've liked him for a long time now. Anyway, I'll see you guys all tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, see you later Brie!" Joey exclaimed, waving her off.

"Bye Brianna! Have a good time!" Mokuba cheered. Seto simply nodded his head as a way of wishing her good luck with her date. With a wave of her hand, Brianna disappeared into the front hall and exited the mansion through the front door. Once she was gone, everyone turned their attention back to the movie, which had been playing the whole time they were talking to Brianna. Mokuba decided that it would be a good idea to rewind it back to where they had left off, just so they would know what was going on. They didn't want to miss anything…well, Seto could probably give two hoots about it but Joey and Mokuba were definite video fanatics.

* * *

As soon as the movie ended, Joey and Mokuba got up off of the couch and began stretching out all of their limbs, seeing as how they were practically stiff as boards. Seto merely got up and headed into the kitchen for something to drink; the other two boys eventually followed suit.

"So, how'd you like the movie Seto?" the younger brother asked, grabbing a Vanilla Coke out of the fridge. "You want anything Joey?"

"Sure, I'll have a Vanilla Coke," he replied, sitting down at the table next to Seto, even though he had no idea why he had chosen that particular spot.

As soon as Mokuba sat down and handed Joey his pop, he looked to his elder sibling for an answer to his question.

"It was okay, but I've seen better," the brunette stated honestly. Joey almost spit out half of his pop when he heard those words escape the CEO's lips.

"What? That was the best movie **_ever_**!" Mokuba nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

"Well I'm not one for those kinds of movies, all right?"

Joey snorted. "That's just because you're not with the times Kaiba…"

"Ha, don't make me laugh Wheeler." The duo than began another one of their infamous staring contests and this time, nothing was going to break their concentration.

"C'mon guys, let's just have a nice, friendly conversation," Mokuba pleaded with the two, turning his ever so lovable puppy dog eyes on them. At that moment, both Joey and Seto knew that they had both lost. Neither one of them could resist Mokuba's puppy dog look…it was impossible, very impossible…

"Well, I'm heading upstairs now. I have a lot of work that I need to finish and I've barely got anything done." As Seto stood up from the table, Mokuba gave a very long and exasperated sigh. The brunette noticed this and copied his brother's very same gesture. "Listen Mokuba, I know that you want me to spend more time with you but at the moment I'm just way too busy. Maybe when I'm done everything we can spend some quality time together, just you and me. What do you say, kiddo?" Mokuba smiled and nodded his head joyously.

"Okay big brother!" With that, Seto turned his back on the two males and headed over towards the doorframe that separated the kitchen from the living room. He didn't once look back as he made his way up the stairs and eventually into his room.

Joey than turned to his young friend. "So, what do you want to do?"

"I don't know," Mokuba sighed. "Do you just want to watch TV for awhile, or at least until Seto's done?" he suggested.

Joey nodded his head vigorously. If there was one thing that Joey never disagreed with, it was television. "Sure thing! Let's go!" So as the two boys skipped into the living room and landed on the couch with grace and ease, the only thing running through Mokuba's mind was that if his brother and Joey were ever going to realize their true feelings towards one another. He hated waiting for the right moment to arise, but as the old saying goes, "Good things come to those who wait." He just hoped that this was one of those times…

* * *

_**Mysterious Mistress Kura: **Hey guys! Sorry about the delay but I've had writer's block on this story for some time now and I just managed to get over it long enough to post this chapter. Again, I'm dreadfully sorry. On the other hand, I hoped you liked this chapter and I'm hoping that it won't be long until the next one. So please review and tell me your thoughts and opinions! Thank you! Luv ya all! Ja ne! _


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen: Forever Love, Forever With You**

As Seto sat behind his old, mahogany oak desk, staring at the computer screen before him, millions of thoughts were running rampant through his mind and no matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't get rid of them. The worst part, however, was that everything was about Joey. He didn't understand how, or even why he was thinking of such nonsense but one thing was for sure…it was torture. He despised the blonde with everything he had and yet he still couldn't rid his mind of him. Was it because of what had happened the other day at the park? No, it couldn't be that. That day was nothing more than a mere memory…at least, that's what he hoped it was… He knew that deep down inside that kiss really existed, as much as he denied it. All he wanted to do was to live a normal life without having to deal with any more nonsense, especially about one such teen named Joey Wheeler. Seto knew that he had nowhere to go; seeing as how he couldn't return back to the place he had once called home. He felt some sympathy towards the blonde but knew that he couldn't put forth all of his feelings or it would look suspicious. On the other hand, Seto felt a bit wary that his brother knew too much about his feelings and wasn't prepared to tell him any more information than he needed to know. It was to be kept a secret, for him and him alone…

* * *

Meanwhile, as Joey and Mokuba continued to occupy themselves with the TV, the raven-haired child couldn't help thinking about his brother. When the CEO had left them not even an hour ago, he seemed somewhat depressed, yet he was doing an awfully good job of hiding it…for the most part. Since they were brothers, it wasn't hard for Mokuba to tell when he was upset. He didn't want to go and talk to him for fear that he would only make the situation worse. Seto had made it quite clear that he didn't want to be disturbed until he had finished all of his necessary paperwork. However, Mokuba wasn't one to give up that easily. As he tried to think up ways to communicate with his elder brother, he finally decided upon one seemingly foolproof plan…one that involved a certain blonde-haired teen.

"Joey?" Mokuba spoke up, breaking the older teen away from the television program he was currently entranced in.

The blonde turned to the younger Kaiba. "Yah? What is it Mokuba?" he asked, taking a sip of his Vanilla Coke that he had yet to finish.

"Could you do me a favor? Pretty please?" Mokuba flashed his oh-so-lovable puppy dog look in the blonde's direction, knowing only full well that he would not be able to refuse his request.

Joey sighed. "You do this to me every time and every time I can't ignore it. So, what do you want me to do? If it involves food, I'm so in!" He licked his lips hungrily, hoping that this **_favor _**would involve something edible.

"I want you to go and talk to Seto…" At that moment, Joey had been taking another drink of his pop and nearly spit out what was in his mouth. He, however, managed to stop himself and swallowed the fizzy liquid.

"W-what? Why do I have to go and talk to him?" Joey asked, pointing to himself.

"Because if I go, he'll know I'm up to something, he always does. But if you go instead, he'll wonder just what you came for and when you start talking to him, he may let a few **_secrets _**slip…"

"Mokuba!"

"What?"

"You shouldn't intrude on your brother's privacy! I know it's Kaiba, but if he doesn't want to tell you something, you shouldn't force it out of him!" Joey scolded the young pre-teen. He didn't mean for his words to sound harsh, they just happened to come out that way.

"But I won't be," Mokuba stated simply.

"What? Yes you will! You just admitted it!"

"But you're the one that's going to be talking to him…" It was then that Joey mentally slapped his forehead as a way of punishing himself for his stupidity. He should have known that that was coming…

"I don't know Mokuba…"

"Please?" The puppy dog look was back, this time looking even cuter than before.

Joey heaved an outward sigh. "Fine, I'll do it…"

"Yay! Thank you Joey! I owe you one!"

The blonde smirked. "Yes you do, you owe me big…" He then ruffled the young one's mess of raven black hair before hoisting himself up off the couch. He glanced over towards the staircase leading up to the next floor, dreading his soon-to-be confrontation with Seto Kaiba. Walking over to his desired destination, he hesitated placing his foot on the carpeted step. He gulped, almost as if he was about to make the journey of a lifetime…yet in reality, he was. As soon his one foot hit the first step, he began trudging up the seemingly large flight of stairs, knowing only full well that every step he took brought him closer to his demise…or so he thought…

Upon his arrival on the second floor of the mansion, he looked around, wondering just where Seto's office was. He had been there before, but couldn't seem to remember where it was located. He just decided to wander around the halls until he found what he was looking for. He made it clear to himself not to go waltzing into any rooms, for fear of what might happen if he did…

Upon his arrival at the door leading into the CEO's office/bedroom, Joey hesitantly knocked, mentally praying to Ra that Seto would not kill him for interrupting his work.

"Come in," a gruff-sounding voice arose from inside the room. The blonde slowly pushed the door open and took one step inside. He looked around the room, noticing that almost all of the walls were completely bare except for the one behind the brunette. Centered directly in the middle, there was a picture of the Blue Eyes White Dragon, which looked to be as though a very talented artist had painted it. He continued to gaze admiringly at it until Seto noticed him standing there.

"Wheeler? What are you doing here? I thought I told you not to disturb me while I'm working." By the look on his face, you could tell that Seto Kaiba was not in the greatest of moods …at this particular moment anyway…

"I…I just…" Joey was practically frozen on the spot; no words could escape his mouth and he couldn't move. What was he to tell Seto? He didn't want to mention Mokuba, seeing as how he didn't wish for the blame to fall on the young child's shoulders. Should he tell a white lie and say that he was the one who wanted to come and see him? Would Seto believe it? After all, the brunette was not one to be fooled so easily; he could easily tell if someone was lying so it would be hard for Joey to sway him into believing that the lie he was about to tell was indeed the truth.

"Yes?" Seto began tapping his foot impatiently, waiting for the blonde's response.

"I…um…just wanted to tell you that…"

"Listen Wheeler, whatever it is that you have to say, I suggest you say it before I end up kicking you out of here," Seto stated threateningly.

Joey gulped and took a deep breath before replying. "I just wanted to tell you that I…I need you…" It was at this moment that Seto's eyes nearly shot up in both surprise and shock, wondering just what the blonde meant by this.

"What did you say?" Seto asked, hoping that he had heard him correctly.

Joey heaved a heavy sigh before repeating himself. He didn't know why he had said what he did but it was the only thing that he could think of. "I said I need you…"

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Seto than shifted his gaze back to the keyboard and pretended to continue typing.

Now Joey was stuck; he didn't know how to respond to such a question. Suddenly, something popped into his head and he pondered with the idea for what seemed like quite some time. He eventually realized that his mind was trying to get him to confess his love for Seto. This was something that he just couldn't believe. He was supposed to admit to his own worst enemy that he loved him? He laughed mentally at that thought, knowing only full well that if he did such a thing, Seto would most likely never speak to him again. It's not like that mattered to the blonde…or did it? He hated the brunette with everything he had and would be glad to be rid of him. The thing was, however, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't rid his mind of the CEO. It was almost like he was in a world where everything and everyone around him reminded him of Seto Kaiba. He hated that world and wished he could be rid of it forever. Unfortunately for him, that wasn't about to happen. Ever since that day at park when the duo had experienced their first kiss with one another, he couldn't stop thinking about the dangerous, blue-eyed dragon. Was he really falling for Seto Kaiba? He didn't want to think that way but knew that if he ignored his feelings, they would only come back to haunt him. So instead, he simply let his emotions flow with the tide and prepared to tell the brunette the truth…

Seto than mimicked a fake cough, bringing the blonde back down to reality. "Are you going to answer my question or not?" He seemed to be getting more impatient by the minute.

"Look Seto I…"

"Spit it out Wheeler, I don't have all day," he practically demanded of the blonde-haired puppy.

"I…I love you…I love you just as you love me…"

"What are you talking about?" As much as Seto tried to mask his feelings, his love for the blonde shone right through.

"Don't you remember the one day you told me that you loved me? At that moment I was oblivious to your feelings; in a sense, I was a fool. But now I know…now I know what you meant. I understand everything that you told me that day and now it is my turn to confess my love for you…"

Seto Kaiba merely sat in silence for what seemed like forever until he accidentally let a few words slip. "I…I love you too…" He didn't realize what he had said until it was too late. When he tried to take it back, he couldn't find the nerve. The only image he saw was his own worst enemy standing in front of him, a wide grin plastering his features. He couldn't bring himself to deny that face the love he so truly longed for.

_Why do I feel this way? I've felt this way ever since Joey first arrived here. I wish all these feelings would just disappear…but that's impossible. They're never going to leave me alone until I can bring myself to admit that I truly love him. But what will happen if I do? My reputation will go down the drain, that is a given. I can't afford to lose everything I've worked so hard to achieve. Is someone like Wheeler truly worth it? My heart says yes but my mind is still bordering an answer. What is the right thing to do? _Upon contemplating what to say, Seto's frustration was growing rapidly by the minute.

Joey, on the other hand, was waiting patiently for the brunette's response; he was hoping that it would be the same as his. He couldn't believe that he had never seen it before; when Seto had expressed his love once before, he thought nothing of it. Now that he had matured quite a bit over the past little while, he had finally begun to realize the truth. He had discovered his inner feelings and what it was that he felt towards that of Seto Kaiba. He loved the CEO with everything he had and wanted to live his life with the brunette standing beside him all the way, through thick and thin, through better or for worse.

"Joey…" The words came out barely audible.

"Yes?" Joey began to grow even more eager to hear just what Seto was about to say to him.

"What I said was indeed true. I love you Joey, with all my heart…" Both teens smiled in unison, blushing from head to toe.

"You mean that?" The blonde knew that the brunette's words were true but couldn't help making sure that the truth was indeed the truth.

"I mean it. I don't care what other people think of us; it's how we feel that truly matters…"

Joey's smile widened even more so as he started over towards the CEO. Seto noticed this and stood up from his chair, moving himself away from his desk as he did so. Upon coming closer to the brunette, only about a mere foot away, the blonde fell into his new lover's arms and wrapped his own around him. Seto made the same gesture and smirked inwardly to himself.

"I'm glad you're here Seto…" Joey spoke while burying his face into the brunette's shoulder.

"And I'm glad that I managed to find you…my puppy…" Even though it couldn't be seen, Joey was indeed smiling from ear-to-ear, finally glad to hear those words come from the brunette's mouth. Seto Kaiba's heart of ice had finally been melted…and he had been the one to do it…

* * *

_**Mysterious Mistress Kura: **Wasn't that just such a sweet ending? I found that it just tugged at the heartstrings. Anyway, I must ask you all a question before you review. If you would like me to make a sequel to this story, please tell me. It won't be as long as this one, but it will hopefully be just as good. So again, please let me know your opinions and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you for all of your comments and I look forward to seeing them in the future! Luv ya'll! Ja ne!_


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